A TRADE union has hit out at a Glasgow bar which has closed permanently after its workers staged a 48-hour walkout last week.
Employees took industrial action this summer over claims the owner failed to deal with pay and health and safety concerns.
But the owner of the 13th Note claimed that Unite Hospitality had “sabotaged our business”, leading to a decline in weekly revenue.
Unite the union said it was the first bar workers’ strikes in more than 20 years and further action had been planned for the coming weekends.
Bryan Simpson of the union said: “To close a workplace and sack more than 20 workers days after they take historic strike action is trade union intimidation pure and simple.
“Jacqueline Fennessy made a firm commitment to Unite and her workforce that she would postpone any redundancies until we’d at least had a chance to meet via ACAS to resolve the issue, a meeting that she called for.
“This employer didn’t even have the decency to tell some of her workers that they were being made redundant before she briefed the press with a smear campaign aimed at discrediting the workers who have made her profits over the years.
“The workers of the 13th Note made this venue and we will do everything we can to ensure that this continues.”
The bar is located in the Merchant City area of Glasgow and striking workers had the support of several high-profile musicians, including Paolo Nutini and Stuart Braithwaite of Mogwai.
Former Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard was also among those to give his backing to the union following the closure of the venue.
He said: “Hard to square ‘successful trading’ with declaring yourself insolvent as soon as workers seek fair pay and safe working conditions.
“Solidarity with the 13th Note staff and their union.”
@scotnational Workers at this Glasgow bar are the first in the country to take strike action in 20 years, according to their trade union! Solidarity with #the13thnoteglasgow staff...#scotland #fyp #strikes #joinaunion ♬ original sound - The National
In her statement, Fennessy said: “It is with deep sadness that today we have been forced to close the doors of the 13th Note and appoint liquidators following operating the venue successfully for 21 years.
“Over more than two decades, we’ve played host to thousands of bands, performers, promoters and artists, while playing a significant role in the vibrant cultural scene of Glasgow.
“I’m devastated with the closure of a business I’ve cherished and loved along with the hundreds of loyal customers who frequented the Note, and I would like to thank everyone who has played a role in creating what was a vibrant Glasgow institution.
“It has been an honour to have been a part of your lives. The challenges of running an independent hospitality venue in today’s climate of inflationary pressures and post-lockdown challenges have been well documented.
“However, it has been the involvement of Unite Hospitality that has caused a drastic reduction in revenue that has forced our closure and the loss of all jobs at the 13th Note.
“To my team, I tried my very best to resolve all the issues we (and other hospitality businesses) face. Thank you sincerely for all your work and efforts over the years.”
She said her team were treated with “integrity, respect and an honest desire to make their working lives better” and insisted the allegations of serious health and safety issues “were simply not true”.
