A strike too far?

Sadly, it would seem that the railways unions have decided that the misery of the last few festive seasons wasn’t enough and they’re going to throw a large spanner in the works and probably a few final nails in the coffins of operators that are barely clinging on.

Apparently Mick Lynch, the lynchpin, if you will, of this industrial action has claimed he’s not “the Grinch”, but I can think of a few more choice ways to describe him myself. Lynch the Grinch does have a ring to it though.

The hospitality sector has been left reeling from crisis after crisis and this Christmas was set to be the first free and clear festive season since 2019, a much needed opportunity to try and build a little bit of a buffer before reality and recession kick in the cold hard months of January.

Draw the line

Now, with the rail unions cynically threatening comprehensive industrial action across the Christmas period, we once again face a Christmas that is likely to be cut down at the knees.

While I have sympathy for the unions in calling for better conditions for their members, to do so at the expense of other businesses and their employees is where I draw the line.

They might think they will be holding the Government to ransom, but the reality is, the Government doesn’t really appear to give that much of a monkeys about the hospitality sector, you only have to look at the Autumn Statement​ to see that.

What the unions are doing is holding other businesses hostage, businesses that have no choice in the matter, or ability to control the situation.

Under the bus

Add to that the impact on ordinary people’s Christmas plans and you can almost hear the Government chuckling into its corn flakes as all sympathy from the public evaporates for the unions.

I’d like to hope that negotiations happen to resolve the situation before the strikes go ahead, but the cynic in me suspects the unions have given the Government a golden opportunity to score a PR victory and it’s probably one they’re going to embrace.

So, once again, the hospitality sector gets thrown under the bus just in time for Christmas. 

Hopefully the unions recognise a catastrophe of their own making and reverse their plans – that would be a welcome gift under the tree for most operators.