£114m lost in wages for Greater Manchester’s hospitality sector until tier review, UnitedCity research finds
The findings, carried out by Metro Dynamics on behalf of UnitedCity, revealed that over £114m of wages in total will be lost between the time that the tier system came into effect on 2 December and the government review on 16 December.
Campaigning group UnitedCity has revealed that Manchester’s night-time economy workforce could be missing out on £8.1m per day in wages in the run-up to Christmas.
Hospitality, which accounts for 33% of all employment in Greater Manchester, has suffered a massive blow by being placed in Tier 3 restrictions following lockdown – with all premises forced to operate on a takeaway-only basis.
A new study, carried out by Metro Dynamics on behalf of UnitedCity, has now laid bare the sobering statistics of this decision – revealing that over £114m of wages will be lost between the time the tier system came into effect on December 2 and the government review on December 16.
This includes £3m per day from artistic and cultural sectors; £1.9m per day from bar staff, waiters, and chefs; £2m per day from hotel, pub, and restaurant managers and £1.3m per day from security guards.
A spokesperson for UnitedCity said: “The £114m figure is actually a conservative figure, as it doesn’t capture the wider implications for other sectors affiliated with hospitality, such as taxis and catering suppliers. It also doesn’t consider the additional jobs we all know are created in the run-up to Christmas.
ADVERTISEMENT
“We have estimated that this can be an additional 50% more staff and existing staff working 25% more hours.
“What is important to also highlight is that aside from the staggering value of wages lost, these businesses add so much to our region: venues like HOME, which is a member of UnitedCity, are absolutely vital to our local ecosystem. Last year alone, the cultural institution brought £26m into Manchester’s economy.
ADVERTISEMENT
“The longer that our businesses are unfairly placed under the stranglehold of Tier 3 and tight lockdowns, the more precarious our economic position becomes.
“Perhaps even more importantly, we stand the risk of losing the vibrancy that makes our city region so special.”
UnitedCity erected billboards around the city earlier this month declaring that ‘All Mancs want for Christmas is (Tier) 2’, and has since called on the government to give businesses a heads up on rules before the festive season so bars can make appropriate arrangements.
“Since March, Greater Manchester has only been in restrictions equivalent to Tier 1 for a total of three weeks,” said the group.
“This means that in 2020, leisure businesses in Greater Manchester have not only missed out on Christmas trade, but also on Bank Holidays, Pride celebrations, Halloween, and more.
“We must also consider urgently the mental health of those employed by the night-time economy. Some of the figure we have calculated will be paid in furlough, but there are still significant costs and potentially permanent damage to the businesses and workers affected.
“Experiencing financial worries and concerns related to job security around Christmas will be tough for the leisure sector’s workforce, and we must ensure they are adequately supported.”
News
Full list of road closures set to be in place for Manchester Day 2024
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Day is back for 2024 this weekend, and the full list of road closures set to be in place has been confirmed.
Now that schools are officially out across Greater Manchester, and the summer holidays are well and truly here, the hugely-popular Manchester Day is making a return once again this Saturday 27 July, and as always, it’s set to be “the day summer officially starts” in the city centre – with a massive celebration of “all things Mancunian” on the cards.
The theme of this year’s annual event is ‘Let The Games Begin’, and it’s inspired by the international summer of sport, just 2024 Olympics kicks off over in Paris.
The day will be packed full of free events and activities to get involved with.
Some city centre roads will be closed on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 July for Manchester Day.
These will include:
🛣️Deansgate 🛣️St Ann Street 🛣️St Mary’s Gate 🛣️Market Street 🛣️King Street
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) July 21, 2024
But of course, in order for the all the fun to go ahead as safely as possible, and as tends to be the case for events like these, Manchester City Council says it will need to make some temporary road closures to facilitate it.
The full list of road closures has now been confirmed by the Council, and there’s some major city centre thoroughfares set to be out of action.
Here’s everything you need to know.
Manchester Day is back for 2024 to celebrate the international summer of sport / Credit: Manchester City Council
Manchester Day 2024 – Road Closures
Saturday 27 July
From 6am to 11:59pm, Manchester City Council has confirmed that the following roads will be closed:
Deansgate (Manchester Cathedral to John Dalton Street) – access will be maintained to Marks and Spencer’s car park and Number One Deansgate.
St Ann Street (Deansgate to Cross Street)
St Mary’s Gate (Exchange Street to Deansgate)
St Mary’s Street (Southbridge Street to Deansgate)
Market Street (Exchange Street to Cross Street)
Fennel Street (Corporation Street to Cathedral Street) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cathedral Street (Fennel Street to Exchange Square) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cateaton Street (Exchange Square to Deansgate)
Barton Square (St Ann’s Square to St Ann Street)
King Street (Cross Street to Deansgate) – no access for deliveries.
All accessible bays, bus lanes, and taxi ranks within the closed areas will also be suspended during from 6pm on Friday 26 July to 11:59pm on Saturday 27 July.
The parking suspensions set to be in place are:
Deansgate (Manchester Cathedral to John Dalton Street)
St Ann Street – including the bays outside St Ann’s Church (Deansgate to Cross Street)
St Mary’s Gate (Exchange Street to Deansgate)
St Mary’s Street (Southbridge Street to Deansgate)
Southgate (St Mary’s Street to King Street West)
Market Street (Exchange Street to Cross Street)
Fennel Street (Corporation Street to Cathedral Street) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cathedral Street (Fennel Street to Exchange Square) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cateaton Street (Exchange Square to Deansgate)
Victoria Street (Cathedral Approach to Deansgate)
Todd Street (Corporation Street to Station Approach)
King Street (Spring Gardens to Southgate)
South King Street (Ridgefield to Deansgate)
Barton Square (St Ann’s Square to St Ann Street)
King Street West (Deansgate to St Mary’s Parsonage)
St James’s Square (John Dalton Street to South King Street)
Cross Street (King Street to Corporation Street)
Museum Street (Peter Street to Windmill Street)
Marsden Street (Cheapside to Brown Street)
Manchester Day 2024: Let The Games Begin! will take over the city centre on Saturday 27 July from 12pm-6pm.
Check out everything you need to know ahead of the event here.
‘Complex’ Metrolink repairs to the Rochdale via Oldham line could take weeks to complete
Emily Sergeant
Work currently underway on the Rochdale via Oldham line is expected to take several weeks to complete.
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has confirmed that land movement affecting the Metrolink network near Derker has now “slowed”, and this means that detailed ground investigations and temporary repair works have been able to get underway.
In order for trams to run again on the crucial line from the city centre to the two major Greater Manchester towns, TfGM says that a small section of track has to be moved back – also known as ‘slewed’ – into its original position.
The overhead line poles also need to be repaired too, the transport operator revealed.
Rochdale line update
Land movement affecting the Metrolink network near Derker has slowed, enabling detailed ground investigations and temporary repair works to get underway.
To get trams running again, a small section of track has to be moved back into its original position… pic.twitter.com/byERjitdi1
Unfortunately though, due to the “complex” nature of these works, and despite the fact that TfGM says it’s actively looking to “accelerate” the repairs, the project is expected to take up to five weeks to complete in full.
On top of this, the detailed ground investigations will also establish whether any further work to strengthen foundations beneath the track will be needed at a later date.
TfGM has apologised for the inconvenience caused to passengers.
‘Complex’ Metrolink repairs to the Rochdale via Oldham line could take weeks to complete / Credit: TfGM
Speaking on the scale of works currently underway, and how long he expects them to continue for, Pete Sommers, who is TfGM’s Network Director for Metrolink, said: “I’m sorry for the impact this is having, and will continue to have, on people’s journeys.
“We are working to get trams running through the area again, but this remains a complex and challenging issue and it could still be a few weeks before this happens.
“We will of course keep passengers updated, and I’d encourage people to check our social media channels and website for the latest information and advice.”