Hospitality contracts axed by venues group
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has revealed 285 of its staff are in selfisolation amid calls from union leaders for priority testing of frontline emergency staff.
The number accounts for 3.75 per cent of the entire workforce, sparking warnings that available personnel could drop to “dangerously low” levels as the coronavirus pandemic continues. While the Fire Brigades Union has called for firefighters to cease all non-essential, non-emergency interactions with the public, they will continue to come into contact in emergency situations, placing them at greater risk of infection.
Matt Wrack, the union’s general secretary, said: “£very emergency service worker has an important role to play. The NHS is an obvious priority, but any testing regime needs to address all key public services.”
One of Scotland’s largest hospitality companies has terminated staff contracts amid the coronavirus outbreak, a trade union has claimed.
Unite Hospitality said it had heard from staff that they were fired without notice on Thursday from their jobs with the G1 Group, if they had worked with the company for less than two years.
Three former employees were spoken to yesterday who said they were dismissed from their jobs at venues in Glasgow and promised one week’s pay in lieu of notice.
Bryan Simpson, the organiser of Unite Hospitality in Scotland, said: “We are hearing reports from our members across the G1 Group that they have closed most venues in Glasgow and are sacking staff en masse.
“We may be in the middle of a public health crisis, but this does not give the country’s largest hospitality employer carte blanche to run roughshod over their loyal workforce.
“The very fact that they only appear to be targeting those workers with less than two years’ service would suggest that they know exactly what they are doing and this is morally wrong and an absolute disgrace.”
The move comes as both First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Scottish economy secretary Fiona Hyslop called on businesses to support staff during the outbreak.
G1 Group has been asked for comment.
Usman Mohammed, who worked at the Grosvenor Cafe in Glasgow, said he was called by the general manager of the venue on Thursday to be told his contract was terminated.