Hospitality Ulster opens ‘redundancy helpline’

Delivered in partnership with employment specialists McCartan Turkington Breen Solicitors, assistance is available to those who are worried about navigating the legal aspects of employment and contractual issues. The helpline can be accessed by calling 07736284764.

Hospitality Ulster has claimed that there is now a significant threat of a large number of redundancies and any hope non-food serving pubs had of being able to trade anytime soon has deteriorated with the decision by the NI Executive to push the indicative reopening date to September 1.

Colin Neill, Chief Executive, Hospitality Ulster said: “Regrettably we have had to react quickly to emotional calls from our members seeking urgent guidance as they deal with the harsh reality now facing them following the news from the NI Executive, deferring the reopening date of traditional non-food pubs.

“This decision has placed several thousands of jobs and livelihoods at severe risk as the date for opening non-food pubs has been pushed back without any financial assistance to bridge the gap.

“This is an extremely difficult and emotional situation for both the employers and the employees of our traditional non-food pubs. It is also terribly frustrating as they see their colleagues in the hospitality sector open and trading, albeit in a very difficult climate.

“Losing a business or being made redundant is one of the most stressful periods in someone’s life and we want to make sure that any of our members who are facing difficulty can pick up the phone and get the help they need from our legal team.

“As there is no guarantee that non-food pubs will reopen on September 1, businesses will have no choice but to begin redundancy procedures unless help is provided immediately. We recognise the severity of this situation and the wider impact this will have on society and will be doing everything in our power to help in this unprecedented period.

“We totally understand and respect that protecting lives comes first, but saving livelihoods must also be a priority for all of us.”

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