Rail passengers will face severe travel disruption over Christmas and New Year as workers stage a series of strikes over the festive season. It comes after a long-running pay dispute between the RMT Union and the government over jobs, pay and conditions.
The RMT have confirmed more than 40,000 workers across Network Rail will stage a series of 48-hour walk-outs. Ahead of the strikes, which began today, it was revealed that 63.6 per cent voted to reject Network Rail’s offer on a 83 per cent turnout.
Last week, it was reported that the hospitality industry was bracing itself for a surge in cancellations ahead of Christmas due to the rail strikes, and a number of Manchester operators have expressed their concerns over a rise in cancelled bookings over the next few weeks. Strikes this month are expected to cost hospitality firms around £1.5 billion, with pubs and restaurants anticipating up to 40 per cent of bookings during the party season to be cancelled due to travel disruptions.
Read more: Sacha Lord launches Christmas campaign to save Manchester’s hospitality sector
Industrial action is planned for today (December 12), 13, 14, 16 and 17 December and on 3,4, 6 and 7 January. On Monday, it was announced that further strikes would also be taking place on key dates around Christmas, with members walking out at 6pm on the 24 December until 7am on 27 December - affecting those travelling around Christmas day to see friends and relatives.
Speaking to the Manchester Evening News , Callum Winsper, Operations Manager at Bitter Twisted, who runs three Bar Hütte sites across the UK including Manchester, said: “So far we have seen just under 20 per cent of bookings cancel for the week ahead due to the travel strikes. With sites in city centre Manchester, Liverpool and Edinburgh a huge amount of customers will rely on train travel to get to us.
“As well as customers, it’s a struggle for staff to get to work to deliver great service for the customers we do have. For hospitality and retail businesses, along with many other sectors, there are multiple negative impacts affecting revenue. This is just another blow following Covid, rising costs and consumer confidence due to the current cost of living crisis.”
It’s a similar scenario for Antonia Lallement, Sales Manager Common & Co, whose venues include Common, Port Street Beer House and Nell’s in the city centre, and The Beagle in Chorlton. “We’ve definitely felt the effect of the strikes. We’ve had cancellations which we’re really hoping are replaced by city centre dwellers or the workforce popping out for a few over the festive weeks.
What do you think? Have your say in our comments below.
“There are things companies can do - don’t cancel the event, postpone it. Buy gift vouchers for your team to the value of the event budget. Better yet, come along! Spend a bit less with us and use it for taxis!”
Last month, Sacha Lord, Manchester’s Night-time Economy Adviser, launched a festive campaign to support the city’s hospitality industry. The scheme which aims to help the sector by encouraging the public to support their favourite restaurants, bars, hotels, theatres and gig venues, will draw attention to local venues which provide Christmas gift vouchers or deposit bookings, and aims to remind the public of different present ideas.
While the scheme is intended to help the industry through the difficult post-Christmas period, the series of strikes planned for the coming weeks adds further pressure on the sector. "The damage is going to be phenomenal.
“I’m seeing people now who have bought tickets to events or to see family and friends, who are saying they can’t get from London to Manchester. The strikes have a knock-on effect too, in terms of hotel cancellations and restaurant cancellations.
“I hope the Government can find a resolution to the strikes, as the impact on hospitality in city centres especially will be devastating.”
Kate Nicholls, chief executive of the industry group, said: “UKHospitality continues to anticipate that the rail strikes throughout December will cost hospitality businesses around £1.5 billion in lost sales and subsequent impacts.
“The most severe impact we’re seeing now is on consumer confidence and the growing cancellations businesses are seeing as a result of the strike. Feedback we’re hearing from members is that cancellations were already around 20-30per cent and with the news of no breakthrough and additional strikes further impacting consumer confidence, we’re expecting that cancellation rate to rise to 35-40per cent.”
On a more positive note, Jennifer Hughes, restaurant partner at Peru Perdu - the restaurant located within city-centre hotel Whitworth Locke - believes customers will still want to support Manchester's hospitality businesses. "The cancellations have created an air of uncertainty and some diners are making the choice to eat closer to home.
"We’re fortunate in that the relationships we’ve built with our guests over the years meant they’ve kept coming this month in spite of those challenges. Although we are looking at a quieter few days over the rail strikes, we are still taking last minute enquiries of groups looking to enjoy their first Christmas out in restaurants since the lockdown closures.”
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