100 workers face axe from food hall firm
AROUND 100 members of staff have been put on redundancy notice by the owners of Maccesfield’s
Picturedrome food court.
Nick Johnson, from Market Operations, said the government’s decision to lower the 80per cent pay support through its furlough scheme from August has put financial pressure on the business, across all three of its sites.
As well as the Picturedrome, Mr Johnson owns Mackie Mayor in central Manchester and Altrincham Market.
But now Mr Johnson, who is calling for greater clarity from central government regarding its policies for businesses and workers, said that pressure coupled with the sector’s ‘uncertainty’ meant he had to place around 100 staff on notice.
He is worried that, as kitchens working in the markets independently employ their own staff, the real total of those made redundant across the sites could be closer to 200.
He said: “We’re lucky in some ways that we occupy such large buildings that will allow us to bring quite a lot of people back in relative safety, assuming they reduce the minimum distance to one metre.
“We have however had to place approximately 100 staff on notice of redundancy because of the end of 80 per cent furlough and the levels of uncertainty in our sector.
“We hope that we can bring some of them back but that depends on the clarity of the government’s edicts which at the moment are hopelessly contradictory and unworkable.”
Mr Johnson said according to government advice his team are able to re-open establishments for takeaway, but any staff that are brought back to support this move have to be taken off furlough completely, placing a financial pressure on an already strained situation.
He said the rules around furloughing staff are ‘crazy’.
The market team is in the process of developing its own app called Alt.Eats that should be available by June 22, enabling table service or takeaway ordering for all three sites.
Mr Johnson said: “We’ve developed this so that we can redeploy our own staff as delivery runners rather than pay fees to a high fee based delivery platform that takes money away from the restaurants and displace employment.”
The business owner is also pulling together packs for sit-in diners, including individually wrapped cutlery and hand sanitising wipes for when service can resume.
Mr Johnson said: “We’re looking at appropriate distancing between tables and protocols to protect customers and staff.”
The government’s department for Housing, Communities and Local Government, department for Business and HM Treasury were all contacted for comment.
HMRC was also contacted for comment.
Pubs, bars and restaurants can reopen from next weekend, Boris Johnson has announced.
Establishments will be allowed to serve customers indoors but this must be limited to table service, the Prime Minister said.
Operators will also be spread. A Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: “The fire involved a small quantity of wood and is believed to have been started deliberately.”
BIKES STOLEN
TWO electric bikes were stolen from a shed during a break-in.
The thieves struck at a asked to record customers’ contact details for tracing purposes in the case of a local outbreak.
The changes will take effect from July 4, as outlined in the Government’s roadmap to relaxing the lockdown.
It will coincide with the 2m distancing rule changing to a new ‘1m plus’ recommendation, which will ask people to remain 2m apart where feasible and take extra precautions such as avoiding face-toface seating or wearing masks at 1m.
Two households will also be allowed to meet ‘in any setting’ from July 4, meaning people will be able to dine out or go for a drink with friends and family as well as visiting their homes as long as they remain at least 1m apart. home on Elm Beds Road, Poynton, some time between 10.15pm on June 15 and 7am on June 16.
Police have appealed for witnesses.
Anyone with information can call 101 quoting reference number IML 731081 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.