Some bosses using retention scheme for opportunist lay-offs - Union

Hospitality workers have voiced concerns about employers using the job retention scheme to make “opportunist lay-offs” and pay wages during statutory notice periods.
By The Newsroom
Published 21st Jul 2020, 16:10 BST
Updated 21st Jul 2020, 16:17 BST
Unite union protest outside Parliament Buildings, Belfast. Hospitality workers have voiced concerns about employers using the job retention scheme to make "opportunist lay-offs" and pay wages during statutory notice periodsUnite union protest outside Parliament Buildings, Belfast. Hospitality workers have voiced concerns about employers using the job retention scheme to make "opportunist lay-offs" and pay wages during statutory notice periods
Unite union protest outside Parliament Buildings, Belfast. Hospitality workers have voiced concerns about employers using the job retention scheme to make "opportunist lay-offs" and pay wages during statutory notice periods

A small number of hospitality and tourism workers held a socially distanced protest outside Parliament Buildings on Tuesday calling on Economy Minister Diane Dodds to take action.

The demonstration organised by the Unite union also highlighted an alleged failure by Stormont to engage with workers while developing its post-lockdown economic recovery plans for the region.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Unite representative Neil Moore said research commissioned by the union indicated that between 10,000 to 15,000 hospitality workers face the threat of redundancy in the coming weeks.

Unite union protest outside Parliament Buildings, Belfast. Hospitality workers have voiced concerns about employers using the job retention scheme to make "opportunist lay-offs" and pay wages during statutory notice periodsUnite union protest outside Parliament Buildings, Belfast. Hospitality workers have voiced concerns about employers using the job retention scheme to make "opportunist lay-offs" and pay wages during statutory notice periods
Unite union protest outside Parliament Buildings, Belfast. Hospitality workers have voiced concerns about employers using the job retention scheme to make "opportunist lay-offs" and pay wages during statutory notice periods

“What we are seeing is a knee-jerk reaction to offload staff before the end of July which is obviously in line with the end of the job retention scheme in October,” he said.

“We believe there are companies that are using that to pay the full 12 weeks statutory notice.

“We believe that’s not right and that’s not moral that companies are using a job retention scheme funded by the taxpayers in order to offload staff and restructure in this industry.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mr Moore acknowledged that the tourism and hospitality sectors had been hit hard by the pandemic.

“That’s why we need the politicians to step in to fund and save our tourism sector but that cannot be at the cost of workers’ jobs and skills,” he said.

He raised concern at a lack of union representation on a tourism recovery steering group at Stormont.

Mr Moore claimed that employers’ considerations were being taken into account by Stormont decision-makers while workers’ views were being ignored.

Related topics:Diane DoddsUnite