Tuesday 21 June 2022

Richard Burge, Chief Executive of London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), said:

“As it has been confirmed that the planned strikes will go ahead this week, we reiterate our deep frustration that the parties involved did not reach a resolution sooner. From tomorrow, London will once again grind to a halt, along with the vast majority of the UK.

Strikes are a lose-lose situation and will hit London’s economy with a double blow. First, there is the short-term hit of fewer visitors to the city, reduced footfall, and less tourism spending. This comes at a time when businesses, particularly those in the hospitality sector, have already fought so hard to recover from the pandemic. The second hit is the damage done to London’s reputation as a global city for business. Continued transport disruption creates risks to future foreign direct investment and could deter international partners from doing business in the UK.

The railways are an industry that, from top to bottom, had no job losses and no furlough throughout the pandemic, and unlike the NHS, they had little to do and low exposure to Covid. The solidarity that they were shown then, now needs to be repaid. We urge all parties involved in the dispute to re-engage and find a resolution that will end this reoccurring economic self-harm .”

ENDS