Restaurants and pubs have cautiously welcomed a £1 billion bailout for the hospitality industry but unions have warned that it does little to protect workers at risk of losing their wages. Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, announced one-off grants of up to £6,000 per premises to compensate businesses for the collapse of Christmas bookings as he acknowledged the “huge uncertainty” the Omicron variant was causing for pubs, restaurants and bars at their busiest time of year. SponsoredHospitality businesses broadly welcomed the funding although the travel industry complained that it had been “left out in the cold”. The boss of one major hotel chain said the package was like a “dud cracker on Christmas Day”. The grants will be distributed by councils, with an extra £100

Source: The Times December 22, 2021 00:07 UTC