UK
The Government can chart as many roadmaps out of lockdown as it can cram in its glove compartment but it has shown hospitality’s laundry supply chain that Westminster has no grasp of real life for the many struggling businesses in the sector. The recently announced road map out of lockdown has infuriated hospitality laundries who are expected to hang on after a year of hardship until mid-May at the earliest – and still with no help.

Textile Services Association (TSA) CEO David Stevens recently commented on the roadmap to coming out of lockdown on behalf of hospitality laundries adversely affected in the pandemic, and who have received little or no help from Government.

His reaction, understandably, was somewhat less than enthusiastic. The textile care businesses he represents, taking the full brunt of Government indifference, were probably blunter in their response.  

Stevens commented: “The Chancellor needs to protect the supply chain – laundries are being asked to survive until 17 May at the earliest without any extra support.  That’s no surprise – we’ve had no support from the Government throughout the pandemic. We were shut by the Government last March and, apart from six weeks in summer 2020, we have seen volumes at 10% of the norm at best.

“90% of the commercial laundries supporting the hospitality market have borrowed money to survive.  Now they are being told to wait until June before they will see any proper recovery.

“Without support, many of our members will disappear, along with tens of thousands of jobs.”

TSA membership ranges from family-run operations through to large, multi-national companies.  Visit www.tsa-uk.org for more information.