100 market staff under threat of losing job

AROUND 100 members of staff have been put on redundancy notice at a market.

The popular Altrincham Market food hall and covered market is making preparations to potentially reopen later this summer.

But market owner Nick Johnson said the Government’s decision to lower the 80pc pay support through its furlough scheme from August has put financial pressure on the business.

Mr Johnson, who is calling for greater clarity from central Government regarding its policies and support for businesses and workers, said that pressure coupled with the sector’s ‘uncertainty’ meant he had to place around 100 staff on notice.

He said: “We’re gearing up [for opening] and we’re lucky in some ways that we occupy such large buildings that will allow us to bring quite a lot of people back in relative safety, assuming they reduce the minimum distance to one metre.

“We have, however, had to place approximately 100 staff on notice of redundancy because of the end of 80pc furlough and the levels of uncertainty in our sector.

“We hope that we can bring some of them back but that depends on the clarity of the Government’s edicts which at the moment are hopelessly contradictory and unworkable.”

Mr Johnson says he plans to make use of the market’s food hall, as well as parts of the covered market area for seated dining.

He said his proposals, which would also include making use of the roads around the site and the market’s canopy area on Shaw’s Road, would keep everyone trading, just with a reduced number of stalls and revised layout.

The Government’s department for Housing, Communities and Local Government, department for Business and HM Treasury were all contacted for comment. HMRC was also contacted for comment.