PUBS, clubs and restaurants will lose £2.3 billion in takings because of crippling strikes on the railways, industry chiefs have warned.
Usually boisterous high streets and town centres have been left virtual ghost towns because of the RMT’s walkouts.
UK Hospitality – which represents pubs and boozers – said their all-important Christmas takings have been decimated by the action.
In the past week alone, takings have nosedived by £1.5bn
This is expected to rocket to £2.3bn when the train strikes in early January are included.
واحد في 3 Christmas party bookings (35 نسبه مئويه) were cancelled across the UK over the past week.
In central London, two thirds (65 نسبه مئويه) of bookings were cancelled.
Kate Nicholls, from UK Hospitality said: “It is now clear we cannot afford to go on like this.
“Businesses are being pushed to breaking point and for city centre pubs and restaurants it could be the final nail in the coffin.
“That puts jobs and livelihoods at risk and means the Chancellor is losing out on valuable taxes to fund public services.
الأكثر قراءة في السياسة
“We now need all sides to come together, compromise and draw a line under this damaging dispute before the cost is too high.”