The restaurant industry in London has been heavily impacted by industrial action in recent years. Strikes, protests, and other forms of industrial action can disrupt the operations of restaurants, causing them to lose business and revenue. This has particularly damaging for small and independent restaurants that may not have the financial resources to weather prolonged disruptions, we are seeing this across the country.
One example of industrial action that has impacted the restaurant industry in London is the strikes by transportation workers. When transportation workers go on strike, it is making it difficult for customers to get to restaurants, leading to fewer customers and lower sales. This can be particularly damaging for restaurants that rely on tourists or those located in areas with limited transportation options.
Industrial action can also lead to higher costs for restaurants. For example, if transportation workers go on strike, restaurants may need to find alternative ways to get food and supplies, which can be more expensive. Similarly, if delivery workers go on strike, restaurants may need to find alternative delivery methods, which can also be more costly.
UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said: “These further rail strikes will be hugely damaging for hospitality businesses, their workers and their customers as it seems almost guaranteed that we will be facing a heavily disrupted Christmas for the third year in a row.
“Our estimate of the cost of these strikes already stood at £1.5 billion in lost sales and it’s incredibly frustrating that a solution has yet to be reached to avoid this disruption during the golden month of trade for our sector.
Foodchain hope that the strikes are stopped as soon as possible and the industry can get back to doing what they are best at - Hospitality!