Up to 5,000 jobs at risk at Upper Crust owner

Up to around 5,000 jobs are under threat at Upper Crust and Caffe Ritazza owner SSP amid a shake-up following plunging passenger numbers at railway stations and airports due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The group warned it expects to open only around a fifth of its sites in the UK by the autumn as travel is set to remain at very low levels amid the Covid-19 crisis.

It has launched a consultation on a restructure to “simplify and reshape” the business in the face of the pandemic, which it said could lead to more than half of its 9,000-strong peak season workforce being axed.

The group said head office and UK staff would be affected by the cuts.

Rail union RMT said the “savage” job cuts highlight the need for the UK government to step in and help the rail sector and support services amid the coronavirus crisis.

SSP chief executive Simon Smith said: “In the UK the pace of the recovery continues to be slow. In response to this, we are now taking further action to protect the business and create the right base from which to rebuild our operations. Regrettably, we are starting a collective consultation which will affect our UK colleagues. These are extremely difficult decisions.”

SSP has around 570 sites across 130 airport and railway stations in the UK and Ireland, but also has operations in 35 countries worldwide.

It runs travel sites for chains such as Burger King, M&S Simply Food and Starbucks, while it also has its own brands, including Millie’s and Upper Crust.