A week after the closure of all hospitality business, the workers of Pub Invest Group from Liverpool got bad news.
Due to the COVID-19 crisis, they were not able to give any hours to their workers as they don’t have the resources to cover their staff wages. They did, however, wish the best luck to all their workforce and to see them back soon when they open again.
Pub Invest Groups owns some of the most popular night pubs in the central area of Liverpool such as Einsteins, Moloko or McCooley’s. As it is common in the hospitality industry, they show their appreciation for their staff with low-pay and job insecurity.
During the Coronavirus crisis, we are having the chance of seeing this in many places. Although the Government is offering the coverage of wages through the Job Retention Scheme, some employers just prefer to get rid of people.
Why should they bother? Pub Invest Group has just found out why (so as their neighbours, Wetherspoons did a week ago).
Just a couple of hours after receiving the news from the company, the workforce got together to demand a solution from the company. Due to the organising of workers and the huge backlash on social media, later that day the company set out a second email, ‘clarifying that they were giving people the option of ‘furlough with instructions on how to request this.
That means, they will be kept in the payroll and will be able to get paid during the closure of hospitality.
This “clarification” from the company, while welcome, has not ended with the worker’s concerns. It is still to be seen when they’ll be paid, how much and if every single worker will be able to access.
However, Pub Invest Group’s workers have shown a very important lesson to all of us: It is worth organising and fighting back. It does not matter if we are casual workers, if we are on zero-hours or working through an agency.
Liverpool-SolFed wants to send our solidarity to all the Pub Invest Group workforce. You have set a very important example. We will keep fighting for workers dignity and organisation.
Against viruses, bosses and other pathogens:
Workers solidarity!