A bitter blow for Spoons workers
WETHERSPOONS caused outrage yesterday as bosses told 43,000 staff they will not be paid for over a month while its pubs are shut.
Tim Martin, founder of the group which runs more than 800 UK pubs, said he was ‘sorry’, wished his staff ‘good luck’ and suggested they work for Tesco instead.
The 64-year-old claimed the company, which turns over £1.8billion a year, ‘does not have the resources’ to pay its staff due to pub closures caused by the outbreak.
Staff will get no money until the end of April when the Government is expected to pay wage subsidies to businesses who have shut down.
MPs and unions castigated the ‘shocking and selfish’ move and said some staff would be left homeless.
Most other businesses closing their doors during the shutdown are paying staff as usual and then recouping the money later using the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
He told staff in a video: ‘I’m very sorry. The Government has promised to pay 80 per cent of wages. They’ll be pretty slow in paying it, there may be some delays for which I apologise. Good luck.’
The pub boss had already caused controversy by refusing to close his pubs before the Government shutdown. A Wetherspoons employee said: ‘I can’t fathom what is going through Tim Martin’s mind. I, and 40,000 people up and down the country, have now got no income.’
Conservative MP Robert Halfon said: ‘It’s time big business people think of their loyal workforce ahead of their profits and not behave like fat cats.’ And Labour MP Mark Tami said: ‘When this is over, support your local pub instead.’