Industry Update: The STA joins other business organisations to co-sign open letter expressing disappointment and frustration at the proposed bin strikes and other industrial action targeted at disrupting major summer events in Scotland including Edinburgh’s festivals
We would like to express our disappointment and frustration at the proposed bin strikes and other industrial action targeted at disrupting major summer events in Scotland including Edinburgh’s festivals.
Every summer, Edinburgh is the centre of the world for arts and culture, with the various festivals attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors. Our city is on the world stage and the festival season provides an opportunity for Edinburgh and the Lothians to cement and enhance its standing as a global destination. Unfortunately, two years ago, this opportunity was seriously undermined by industrial action over the festivals. This tarnished our city’s reputation among visitors from across the globe – potentially impacting future trade – while also negatively impacting the experience for locals and our businesses. As leading representatives of local business, we fear that unless all parties involved come together to resolve the current dispute, the same will happen this year.
Unfortunately, as the dispute has developed, the impact and damage on business and the public including visitors appears to have been absent from any discussion between the parties involved. Government at all levels have allowed this dispute to develop, providing unions with the opportunity once again to target the festivals, without any concern for the detrimental impact it could cause, whether economic, social or in terms of the public health risk. Many small businesses across Scotland and in Edinburgh rely on the critical summer months for a large portion of their annual income. If this dispute does go ahead, this will be severely detrimental to these businesses resulting in a loss of revenue that cannot be recovered.
As a collective group of business organisations, we urge Government, COSLA and the Trade Unions to get round the table and resolve this issue for the benefit of Scotland’s global reputation, as well as the economic wellbeing of our city, local businesses and the wider public.
Signed,
Sarah Allanson, CEO, British Holiday Parks & Homes Association
Sandy Begbie CBE FRSE, CEO Scottish Financial Enterprise
Sandy Bloomer, Chair, Scottish Independent Tour Operators Association
Rebecca Brooks, Chair, UK Inbound
Fiona Campbell, Chief Executive, Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers
Marc Crothall MBE, Chief Executive, Scottish Tourism Alliance
Bernard Donoghue OBE, Director, Association of Leading Visitor Attractions
Michael Golding, CEO, Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions
Janice Hogarth, Secretary, Scottish Passenger Agents’ Association
Andrew Hopetoun, Chairman, Historic Houses Scotland
David Lonsdale, Director, Scottish Retail Consortium
Margo Paterson, Chief Executive, Hostelling Scotland
Leon Thompson, Executive Director, UKHospitality Scotland
Paul Togneri, Senior Advisor, Scottish Beer and Pub Association
David Weston, Chair, Scottish Bed & Breakfast Association
Colin Wilkinson, Managing Director, Scottish Licensed Trade Association
