Hospitality workers losing faith in Government

MORE than three-quarters of hospitality workers say they would not vote for Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael or the Green Party if there was an election in the morning.

A survey of more than 1,000 workers in the sector has produced damning results for the Government, with 88pc saying they don’t believe politicians have done enough to help their industry.

Almost half (47pc) of the respondents said they have had difficulty paying their rent or mortgage since the pandemic began, while three in four have suffered significant levels of stress.

Hospitality workers have been vocal in their criticism of the Government over its handling of the pandemic, which has seen wet pubs shuttered for the best part of a year.

The majority (76pc) of respondents said they have thought about moving to a different sector, while 38pc said their income had fallen by 50pc or more since last year.

The survey was carried out by The Angry Bartender ,a popular podcast and social media outlet which has a strong following from the hospitality sector. It describes its outlet as “a place for bar staff, barbacks, waiters, waitresses and managers to vent and share”.

Speaking about the survey, a spokesperson for The Angry Bartender said: “The last year has been horrendous for hospitality staff.

“Our income has been slashed and we have no idea when we’ll be getting back to work. It’s put a lot of people from the sector under real stress.

“I’ve been hearing a lot of stories from people working in hospitality telling me how hard it’s been for them, how they’ve had difficulty paying their rent or mortgages, their bills, even getting in the shopping.

“These are the stories that aren’t being told and yet this is what the pandemic looks like for a lot of us.”