Second hospitality protest scheduled for December 7

There will be a second hospitality demonstration next month as the industry battles on for a fairer deal.

HospoDemo will return to London’s Westminster for another protest in December, having marched in October with around 600 hospitality workers.

Last time, the likes of Fergus Henderson, Tom Aikens, and Yotam Ottolenghi gathered to express their outrage over the government’s treatment of pubs and restaurants.

The next protest will take place in Parliament Square on Monday 7th December at 11am. All those attending are encouraged to “bring the tools of your trade to make as much noise as possible, so those making the decisions that are killing our industry hear us loud and clear”.

Posting on Instagram, the group said: “The latest evidence shows just 2% of Covid transmissions can be traced back to hospitality settings, yet the UK government thinks it’s safer to go to a gym, stand in a busy supermarket queue, go Christmas shopping or watch a game of football with 4,000 fans.

“Just as we were gearing up to re-open our businesses, the new tier restrictions ‪from 2nd December make hospitality the scapegoat once again.

“The loss of vital Christmas trade will be the final straw for many restaurants, bars, pubs and hotels hoping to survive into 2021. Add on ever-increasing rent debt, among other costs, and the future is frightening for tens of thousands of businesses and their employees.

“While the furlough scheme is enabling hospitality workers to make ends meet, their jobs simply won’t exist once their employers’ businesses fold in the coming months.

“The government can’t have it both ways: hospitality needs either fewer restrictions or more government support before the unthinkable happens.”

Share this article: