HUNDREDS of names have been added to a petition urging Wetherspoons boss Tim Martin to "listen to his workers".
The pub chain provoked outcry in March over its treatment of its 40,000 staff.
Founder Martin, who is reportedly worth £400 million, initially said he intended to keep all his pubs open during the pandemic then told staff they could "go work at Tesco" as he warned them they could face delays over pay.
The Brexiteer businessman had called Covid-19 panic a "health scare" and said shutting premises to stop its spread would be "over the top".
Last month the chain unveiled its plans for reopening almost 900 bars across the UK, with a reduced menu and temperature checks for staff on the cards.
The chain said it will invest £11m to ensure staff and customers are safe before reopening "in or around June", in accordance with the rules laid down by relevant governments.
It said it will put protective screens at till points and in some seating areas and provide staff with gloves, masks and protective eyewear.
Chief executive John Hutson commented: "We have spent a number of weeks consulting with staff who work in our pubs, as well as area managers in order to draw up our plans.
"We have received more than 2,500 suggestions from our staff.
"The safety of our staff and customers is paramount."
Now a petition has been lodged on the workers' campaign platform megaphone.co.uk urging Marton to "listen" to employees on health and safety.
It has been posted by Alex McIntyre, who led the Wetherspoons strike over pay and conditions in 2018.
It states: "We are not disposable. We are the ones pouring the pints, cleaning the floors and cooking the food. The company depends on us to make profits and keep the business running.
"Therefore, we make these demands to Tim Martin and John Hutson, Chairman and CEO of JD Wetherspoon. We hope that they will listen to our demands, work with us to transition into returning to work, putting our safety first."
The demands include door security, no penalty for not reaching sales targets, no skeleton staffing and appropriate PPE.
It went live earlier this afternoon and at teatime it had been signed by around 200 people.
In its announcement on reopening plans, Wetherspoons said each of its pubs will hire two full-time workers to regularly clean surfaces and touch-points throughout, with more employed in larger venues.
At the time, Hutson said: "At present the government have not confirmed any reopening date for pubs.
"However, it is important that we are prepared for any announcement."
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel