Sector pleads for no Christmas rail strikes

Hospitality brands including Wasabi, Mitchells & Butlers, D&D London and Rosa's Thai have signed an open letter alongside UKHospitality, urging the transport secretary, RMT, ASLEF and the Rail Delivery Group to "redouble efforts" to resolve the ongoing dispute. 

This comes as a string of new rail strikes, the first of which occurred on Saturday 30 September, are set to cost the industry up to £400m, on top of the £3.5bn already lost over the last 16 months. 

All types of hospitality businesses have been impacted by the strikes, from city centre food-to-go to family-run pubs on the Kent coast.

The letter, signed by 37 hospitality businesses, called on rail unions to make a public commitment not to strike during the festive period, striving to avoid further economic harm. 

"The significance of the festive season to our sector cannot be overstated. It represents a crucial time when we traditionally see a substantial portion of our annual revenue generated, crucial to enabling venues to operate during the quiet months at the start of the year," the letter states. 

"The festive season is a crucial period for our workforce: missed shifts and subsequent lost earnings – including lost income from tips – would be most acutely felt around Christmas.

"We are urging the rail unions to make a public commitment to not strike during the critical festive period. Striking would cause significant harm to hospitality businesses, undermine workers' ability to earn and disrupt the plans of hard-working families across the country." 

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