Christmas is famously a time for giving, relaxing and spending time with family. But for London’s retail and hospitality sectors, it is far and away their most important financial quarter. From presents to office parties, it is the time many businesses rely on to get them through the rest of the year.
If these rail strikes go ahead as planned, the capital’s businesses are set to lose out on millions of pounds. The fear is that after surviving repeated lockdowns, many of London’s firms remain in a fragile state and a poor Christmas take — exacerbated by strike-related cancellations — will push some over the edge.
It is not simply the number of Tube and rail walkouts that have taken place this year, but this specific set of strikes in this particular week of December in this pattern that is so damaging in the run-up to Christmas.
The unions are able to make their point and support their members on pay without crushing another sector, one that employs hundreds of thousands of Londoners and has taken a hammering in recent years.
The public, so many of whom are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis, will have some sympathy for rail workers. But these are the wrong strikes at the wrong time. The unions should think again and all sides must engage in good faith to find a deal.
Embassies crackdown
The Standard reveals today that the Government is preparing to subject embassies in London with a crackdown on modern slavery and employment malpractices.
At present, foreign nations are able to claim immunity from being taken to an employment tribunal by ‘domestic workers’ such as chefs, cleaners and security staff working for embassies in Britain. That would change.
The move comes after a Supreme Court ruling which found that sections of current law, based on the 1978 State Immunity Act, are not compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. One case involved an employee who had claims of unfair dismissal, failure to be paid the minimum wage, unpaid wages and breaches of the Working Time Regulations, but under current law was unable to attain justice.
Embassies may own the land they sit on and enjoy diplomatic immunity, but those who live in Britain and work here are entitled to their rights and be treated fairly under the law. It is right that ministers, with the support of the Opposition, will make this important change.
Our commitment to abolish any form of modern slavery must be sacrosanct.
England’s big chance
The fact that footballing powerhouses such as Germany and Belgium failed to make it out of their respective groups is a reminder that qualifying for the round of 16, and doing so as group winners, is no guarantee.
Outside of that big win over Iran, England have yet to set the World Cup alight. But the old adage is right: you can’t win the cup in the group stage, only lose it.
And now England face Senegal, without talisman striker Sadio Mané, with a great chance of making it to the quarter-finals. One game at a time, of course. Bring on Sunday night.
