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The owner of the Premier Inn hotel and restaurant chain Brewers Fayre has announced plans to cut 6,000 jobs.
Whitbread said he had started consultations with staff and hoped that most of the proposed cuts could be made on a voluntary basis, as it described a collapse in sales during the coronavirus crisis.
It reported that sales during the first half of its financial year through August 27 fell almost 80% as a result of the lockdown that forced the closure of most sites.
But it said its lodging division was performing ahead of the market since the reopening, while its restaurant brands, Whitbread reported, were “boosted by the positive impact of the Eat Out To Help Out program.”
He said total August sales in the UK improved as much as 38.5% less year-on-year.
The company said its proposals for job cuts reflected forecasts for continued moderate demand as the government prepares to place new curbs in the hospitality sector to cope with rising COVID-19 infection rates.
He also cited the imminent completion of the Job Retention Plan, which will be fully closed by the end of next month.
Whitbread said of his plans: “These changes create a more flexible work model that can adapt to changes in the demand environment in the future. Our priority is to ensure that the process is fair and that affected colleagues are supported at all times. “.
