Whitbread PLC, the owners of chains such as Premier Inn and Beefeater, has revealed it intends to cut 6,000 jobs across the country.
Consultations have begun with staff nationwide as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, with sales dropping by almost 80% in the first half of the company’s financial year.
Premier Inn operates 2 hotels in Newport and Lake, as well as a Beefeater restaurant at Seaclose Park, Newport.
Interestingly, today’s news comes just weeks before the planned opening of the Isle of Wight’s third Premier Inn hotel at Sandown Esplanade. The hotel is complete and ready to open, but recruitment is not taking place until October with an opening date set for the end of November. The hotel will feature a Cookhouse & Pub restaurant.
Around 18% of employees face losing their jobs, with a further 20% of office staff set to be axed too.
Alison Brittain, Chief Executive of Whitbread PLC, has said:
“Our teams have worked very hard to reopen our hotels and restaurants and we are now firmly in the “restore” phase of our response to the COVID-19 crisis.
“Our performance following the reopenings has been ahead of the market, however, it has been clear from the beginning of this crisis that even as restrictions are eased and hospitality businesses such as ours reopen their doors, that demand would be materially lower than FY20 levels for a period of time.
Article continues below this advertisement “Given this backdrop, we have already taken extensive action to protect the business, retain financial flexibility and position it for long-term success.”
The UK needs to seriously reduce the number of people entering our country now. For work, what is left after a long Winter of businesses failing, will be needed for those newcomers who are already here, and our own population.
Every time someone new arrives be it floating over illegally or legally, a home has to be found or built, and a job has to been found or they have to be kept by others, then they will all need a doctor, and dentist, and all their often numerous offspring will need expensive education.
We need to raise the drawbridge now, as the old excuse of needing more labour, will no longer be valid, as we will need any work, for those already here, their children and our own race.
Doing nothing is not an option.
Surely not to pay for the monstrosity on the sea front!
I’m sure the people who lost jobs will understand ?