Rail strikes to cost pubs and restaurants £1.5bn in run-up to Christmas
The TelegraphRail strikes in the crucial weeks leading up to Christmas will cost pubs and restaurants as much as £1.5bn in lost sales, industry chiefs have warned. Hospitality bosses said the impact of walkouts by the Rail, Maritime and Transport workers union just days before Christmas would be “devastating” for companies which are already facing soaring costs and labour shortages. Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UK Hospitality, said: “At a time when the sector is facing soaring bills and a cost of living crisis, rail strikes causing parties to be cancelled and celebrations with family and friends moved to homes, the loss of takings will be devastating. It couldn’t be a worse week.” Many hospitality businesses rely on strong Christmas sales to see them through January, when shoppers tend to have less cash to spend on going out and other non-essential purchases.
History of this topic
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