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Rail strikes cost hospitality £2.5bn

Train strikes over the last six months are expected to have caused the UK hospitality industry to lose £2.5 billion (US$2.9bn).

UK train strikes
UK Hospitality predicts train strikes from June 2022 to January 2023 will cost the on-trade £2.5 billion

Trade body UK Hospitality predicts that train strikes from summer 2022 up until the end of January 2023 will see the industry lose £2.5bn.

Strike action kicked off in June and was also held across several weekends in December, a key period for the hospitality industry, and the first week of 2023.

UK Hospitality previously estimated that industrial action during December and January would cost the sector £1.5bn (US$1.8bn).

“Rail strikes have had massive cumulative impacts on hospitality businesses, their workers and their customers since they began last year,” said UK Hospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls.

“Hospitality is the collateral damage of this dispute, with the whole strike period from June last year until the end of the currently scheduled strikes in January set to cost the sector a total of £2.5 billion.

“This is simply unsustainable and is an entirely avoidable added pressure for the sector to contend with, on top of soaring energy costs, workforce challenges and dampening consumer confidence.

“It’s essential that all parties involved in the negotiations reach a solution imminently to avoid these harmful strikes that continue to hit hospitality.”

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