Thirty-seven hospitality brands urge train unions not to strike over Christmas
Rail unions have been urged not to strike during the festive period by 37 hospitality brands, which have signed an open letter in partnership with UKHospitality.
Wasabi, Greene King, Fuller's and Rosa's Thai are among the signatories who have called on the transport secretary, RMT, ASLEF and Rail Delivery Group to "redouble efforts" to resolve the ongoing dispute and "make a public commitment to not strike during the critical festive period".
The open letter stated: "The significance of the festive season to our sector cannot be overstated. It represents a crucial time when we traditionally see a substantial portion of our annual revenue generated, crucial to enabling venues to operate during the quiet months at the start of the year.
"The festive season is a crucial period for our workforce: missed shifts and subsequent lost earnings – including lost income from tips – would be most acutely felt around Christmas."
It comes after the managing director of Dishoom revealed last week he is fearful the group could lose 3,500 bookings over Christmas if there are further train strikes during the festive period.
Neil Sebba, managing director of Tossed, added that the ongoing strikes have been "extremely debilitating", while Keith Knowles, chief executive of Beds & Bars, said its sales were down by 70% on average on strike days.
Meanwhile train drivers are set to strike on 4 October while London Underground workers will walk out on 4 October and 6 October.
The signatories to the open letter included:
All Our Bars
BALPPA
Beds and Bars
Beer and Buns
Big Table Group
Cigalon
Club Gascon
D&D London
Drake & Morgan
ETM Group
Fuller, Smith and Turner
GC Mallen
Glendola Leisure Group
Greene King
Heartwood
Hippodrome Casino
Hollywood Bowl Group
Incipio Group
Le Bar
Legacy Hotels & Resorts
Marston's PLC
Mitchells & Butlers
Punch Pubs & Co
Revolution Bars Group
Rick Stein
Rosa's Thai
St Brides Spa hotel
Sticks'n'Sushi
Stonegate Group
The Breakfast Group
The Laine Pub Company
Thorley Taverns
Tossed
Urban Pubs and Bars
Vapiano
Wasabi
Yummy Collection
