Reopening of shops has saved many jobs, insists retail chief
SEVERE job losses have been avoided in the retail sector as a result of the decision to reopen shops tomorrow, a commerce chief has said.
Simon Hamilton said the furlough scheme had been a “godsend”, stopping mass unemployment in the short-term.
Mr Hamilton, who is chief executive of the Belfast Chamber, added: “Ninety-five per cent of retailers have been availing of that scheme and putting a very high percentage of staff on that.”
He said reopening retail tomorrow had been another boost.
“Having an earlier date to reopen than anticipated has been a huge, huge help in terms of getting going again. Had restrictions stayed in place and retailers remained closed in the summer then chances of quite a high number of job losses would have been quite severe,” he said.
Mr Hamilton was addressing the Assembly’s economy committee yesterday.
He said that retail had been one of the sectors hardest hit by restrictions during lockdown.
Most retailers with a door opening onto the street are able to trade from tomorrow, but Mr Hamilton said units within shopping centres now required a definite opening date.
He said that in many cases the centres themselves were open, as they housed the “essential” retailers allowed to trade all through the crisis.
He added: “I’m aware of one of our members who has 60% of their shops actually open because they are deemed essential.
“They are well-versed and experienced in how to open safely and keep premises safe and clean and have queuing systems in place.”
Mr Hamilton said that while retailers were pleased to be able to reopen, the sector was still entering a “dangerous period” and would require ongoing support from the Government.
He said that to maintain social distancing, shops would have lower footfall, and were also having to absorb the costs of measures such as Perspex screens.
Mr Hamilton said he wanted to offer support to chamber members in the hospitality industry, which is still awaiting a reopening date.
Hotels, restaurants and bars in the Republic are due to reopen on June 29.
The Executive is expected to consider whether to reopen the hospitality sector here when it meets today. It is also due to consider whether a plan to reopen hotels here on July 20 can be brought forward in tandem with the Republic.
Mr Hamilton said: “There’s a real symbiotic relationship between retail, hospitality and tourism. We don’t want to see our industries here falling behind our neighbours in the south.”
Aodhan Connolly, director of the NI Retail Consortium, also gave evidence to the committee and repeated calls for a date when retailers in shopping centres can get back to business.
He said: “It seems a little bit arbitrary that they’re not open, since a lot have gone that extra mile to ensure safety of staff including using personal protective equipment (PPE), social distancing and hand sanitisation.
“We need that final piece of the jigsaw to be opened as soon as possible, or at least a date for it to be opened as soon as possible.”
Glyn Roberts, chief executive of Retail NI, warned recovery of the sector could take some time.
“We are making progress but it is a long, long road back,” he said. “If we are in the midst of a very serious recession over the next few months, and possibly years, what impact that will have on consumer confidence and spending is a whole other issue.”
THE reopening of some childcare facilities has been delayed leading to fears that a number of centres could be forced to close their doors permanently.
Some childcare centres were given the green light to reopen next week, but were contacted by the Department of Health on Tuesday to say they could not open as planned.
First Minister Arlene Foster said she was “alarmed” by the decision and contacted Health Minister Robin Swann yesterday.
“Every day is a day lost to the economy of Northern Ireland and is a day lost to childcare providers,” the DUP leader said.
“It is very important to realise that you can’t just switch on and off childcare, there will be a situation where parents will have to bring their children and get them used to going back to childcare.
“A lot of children have been at home for a long time with their parents, there will be attachment issues. There will be all of those things that we will have to work through and as a mother of three children myself, I know all of that.
“I know many of the childcare providers are ready and willing to help parents to do that.”
Mrs Foster said that the Department of Health panels will sit later this week to make a decision on when childcare providers can reopen.
She made the comments as she visited a childcare business in Moygashel in Co Tyrone yesterday.
Kids and Bibs Daycare owners Lynda and Mark Courtney are one of many childcare providers impacted by the decision.
Ms Courtney, who has been running the facility for more than six years, has more than 130 children registered and had planned to reopen next Monday.
“We don’t know when we can reopen and it’s really, really desperate the amount of parents contacting us looking for support, but we need to open to get them back into work,” she said.
“Parents are being forced into unpaid leave, there’s more and more black market childminding, which has issues over child protection.
“We need to open for staff and their job security.
“I feel like I am letting them down because the guidelines keep changing and every time we go to the panels something else appears.”