‘The Tube strikes are terrible for small businesses like us’
Small businesses have been left ‘stressed’ by the London Underground strike after it hit their profits.
Theresa Roberts, the owner of Jamaica Patty, said she saw a huge drop in footfall yesterday after the four-day tube strikes kicked off at 12pm.
Pasha Barbers, on Liverpool Street opposite the station, said their footfall and income has suffered so much that they had to let one barber go this morning.
Meanwhile staff at Italian lunch spot Notto, near Liverpool Street Station, said their revenue was down around 20% as many are working from home.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) walked out from 12 noon for 24 hours and will strike again from the same time on Thursday, disrupting services for the rest of the week.
Transport for London (TfL) urged passengers to check before they travel, as the industrial action led to widespread delays.
Follow our live blog for the latest updates on the Tube strike
London Mayor Sadiq Khan is urging for the strike to be resolved as soon as possible.
Ace Arslan, the manager of Pasha Barbers, told Metro: ‘We had to let our Monday to Friday guy go because we cannot afford to pay him now.
‘In the morning we have lost at least 10 to 15 customers. Normally this place is very busy in the morning, lunchtime is busy, 2pm til 4pm is steady. But it is really bad, really bad.
‘Yesterday was dead. The rent for this place is £120,000 a year. We have to maximise every slot.
‘It’s not just us, it is everywhere. We are not really able to pay everyone, we paid three others, but I’m still waiting. And I have three kids, it’s crazy.’
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Theresa told Metro: ‘It’s terrible for a small business like us. We have four sites – Liverpool Street, Canary Wharf, Farringdon and Covent Garden where I started – and our business model is based on footfall from the stations. So it is hitting us already.
‘I have a couple of girls working here who had to rush early to get home. Another girl is meant to come on shift later but I’m not sure how she will travel in.
‘I have felt stressed knowing there’s a Tube strike. Building the business didn’t happen overnight.’
She criticised the government for ‘lack of support for small business.’
‘If we survive the Tube strike, I don’t know if we’ll survive this Labour government.’
Ben Nunn, the owner of Nobl men’s clothing store, told Metro: ‘Our takings yesterday were down by about a half.
‘I only found out about the strike yesterday. This is our third week here as a pop up store, and we are sold at Selfridges in Manchester and Birmingham.
‘We are here until next Thursday before this building is knocked down. It is a bit of a shame to have the strike when we’re here.’
RMT official Jared Wood said union members felt strongly about the issues at the heart of the dispute.
He told the Press Association the row was not just about a four-day week, saying other issues were involved such as the length of shifts and changes to annual leave.
He said: ‘TfL need to come forward with changes to their proposals for this dispute to be resolved.
‘There is absolute unanimity among our members that we have to fight these proposals.’
Mr Wood said there was now ‘a lot of bad feeling’ between the drivers and London Underground.
Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: ‘In a typical week, London’s pubs generate approximately £80 million in GVA (gross added value) between Tuesday and Friday alone.
‘This doesn’t just boost the economy but represents the jobs, high streets, and community spirit that revolve around pubs.
‘At a time when so many locals are already operating on a knife edge because of huge costs, significant disruption to trade will be acutely felt.
‘It’s vital that that overall cost of doing business comes down, which is why we’re working with Government on ways to support the pub, including permanent business rates reform, a cut in beer duty and VAT, and a reduction of the regulatory burden.’
A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said: ‘Strikes are bad for London and bad for Londoners, particularly for all those businesses who rely on commuters coming into our city. The Mayor continues to urge that there be a swift resolution to this dispute.
‘Most of the Tube and TfL services will continue to run throughout this week, but Londoners should check before they travel.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
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