Fears ‘stupid’ curfew could deal crushing blow to jobs
‘Random policy generator’
THE curfew on pubs and restaurants was condemned as ‘ nuts’ and ‘utterly stupid’ by angry industry leaders last night.
Boris Johnson’s warning that the 10pm closing time could last for six months came as a shock and triggered fears of mass closures and job losses.
Just yesterday pub, restaurant and hotel group Whitbread warned of 6,000 job cuts, while Wetherspoon says 450 staff will go at its airport sites.
Bosses and industry leaders warned the cuts could be the tip of an iceberg that threatens to sink an entire industry which employs 3.2 million.
Many questioned the science behind the curbs – which come in tomorrow and are backed by threats of closure.
Kate Nicholls, chief executive of the UKHospitality trade association, said: ‘It is hard to understand how these measures are the solution to fighting the disease when government data shows just five per cent of infections out of the home are related to hospitality.
‘A switch back to working from home along with a pause of events reopening means this is now effectively a lockdown for hospitality in city centres. This is a huge, huge blow and it will be potentially fatal for many businesses unless the Government announces a comprehensive package of support swiftly.’
Dame Carolyn Fairbairn, director- general of the Confederation of British Industry, said: ‘There can be no avoiding the crushing blow new measures bring for thousands of firms, particularly in city centres.
‘A clear timetable is welcome, but six months will come as a shock to many.
‘Our pubs, cafes and restaurants have had it hard throughout the crisis. Earlier closing times will be another bitter pill.’
Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: ‘There seems to be little available evidence that pubs, with their strict adherence to Government guidelines, are unsafe, so we are unsure that this blanket measure will make a major difference.
‘Make no mistake, a 10pm curfew will devastate our sector during an already challenging environment for pubs.’
Wetherspoon chairman Tim Martin said: ‘The curfew is utterly stupid.
‘We’ve have done a good job at social distancing in pubs... and there is hardly any infecthe tions being passed on in pubs... So it is mad – nuts.’
Christopher Snowdon, of the Institute of Economic Affairs think-tank, said: ‘A 10pm closing time for all pubs, bars and other hospitality seems to have emerged from a random policy generator.’
Whitbread, which owns Premier Inn hotels as well as the Beefeater and Brewers Fayre chains, has put almost one in five of its staff on notice they may lose their jobs.
Chief executive Alison Brittain said: ‘We are now having to make some very difficult decisions, and it is with great regret that today we are announcing our intention to enter into a consultation process that could result in up to 6,000 redundancies in the UK, of which it is hoped that a significant proportion can be achieved voluntarily.’
The news came as Whitbread revealed like-for-like sales fell by 77.6 per cent in the six months to August 27. Despite the job cuts, it hopes to keep most of its 900 hotels and 350 restaurants open.
Unions condemned Whitbread for axing jobs after using the Government’s furlough scheme to retain workers through lockdown.
Unite assistant general secretary Howard Beckett said: ‘Whitbread readily took taxpayers’ money... [It] must now uphold its part of the bargain [and] put these plans on hold.’