We are amongst the 40,000 staff at JD Wetherspoon who have been laid off after the chain closed its pubs in response to the coronavirus crisis.
The government have pledged to cover 80% of wages for laid off workers, but Wetherspoons initially refused to cover the cost of our pay until the government money comes in, threatening us with a wait without pay as long as the end of April.
Thanks to pressure from our union BFAWU, supporters online and allies in parliament, Wetherspoons have been forced into a partial U-turn. They’ve agreed to cover wages, though they haven’t given detail yet, and after their original penny pinching response, we want to see exactly what this means.
On the rates Wetherspoons pay, we're already facing poverty pay in work - nobody can afford to have money put by for a crisis like this. If Wetherspoons only pay us the 80% of our wages that the government will guarantee, and without the usual bonuses we are paid, many of us will have no way to pay the rent, bills or support our families.
Plenty of other companies in the sector are doing much better by their workers. Costa have already promised 8 weeks full pay to cover the gap. Wetherspoons have the cash and could afford to do the same.
We want Tim Martin and JD Wetherspoon to :
1) Agree they will shoulder the extra 20% to make up the difference in wages from the 80% the government have pledged to cover.
2) Pay all bonuses that staff are due in full.
Please help us and our union BFAWU to put public pressure on our employers to do right by the people who have built the firm's success. Send our boss Tim Martin an email now.
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