Will you drink in Wetherspoons when pubs re-open?

[stevey]

If there is still Wetherspoons after this **** storm, yes. There are going to be a lot less pubs than before, unfortunately. They're not my 1st choice venue, but when travelling you know what kind of establishment to expect.
I can't ever see social distancing working in any pubs, without government money, it'll just hasten their demise.

 

[Banbeer]

Maybe him and Mike Ashley can go into a partnership Wethersports or Spoonsdirect.

Great place for shorts.

 

[Dorst]

I actively avoided Wetherspoons after their aggressive campaigning around the Brexit referendum (I lived and worked in the UK as an EU immigrant back then - not the most fun time). It showed a mean-spirited attitude - not too dissimilar to the current affair. I would choose almost any pub over WS - especially with so many local pubs under pressure.

A while after these events I had a long delay at the Birmingham airport, and the only place to get a decent beer was Weatherspoons. I had a pint or two and decided not to be fundementalist about it. I would compare it to McDonald's or Burger King - I would never eat there unless I'm really hungry and there are no alternatives around.

 

[AdeDunn]

My wife and I stopped going to Weatherspoons pubs a while back, as we disagreed with him using them to campaign for Brexit (to the point of pushing that "Newsletter" through our letterbox....), when all we wanted to do was have a quiet meal and a nice drink. Add on how they bully small breweries into selling their beer to them cheaply (think Amazon for beer type tactics is my understanding), and his campaigning and general mouth shooting off around Covid, yeah, no. The UK would be a better place without Weatherspoons to be blunt, and I am quite happy to eat in McD's, BK, KFC etc....

 

[trueblue]

How many of the detractors read the following but chose to ignore it.

JD Wetherspoon (JDW.L) has caved to public pressure and said it will continue to pay staff throughout the coronavirus shutdown.

The pub group said in a statement on Wednesday 25 March it would introduce a new scheme that would see staff paid 80% of their normal wages by the company. JD Wetherspoon will then apply for up to £2,500 ($2,969) per employee per month back from the government under its new coronavirus job retention scheme.

“As we have already confirmed, Wetherspoon will pay all our 43,000 staff this Friday for the hours worked last week,” founder and chairman Tim Martin said in a statement sent to media.

“As we have already confirmed, Wetherspoon will pay all our 43,000 staff this Friday for the hours worked last week,” founder and chairman Tim Martin said in a statement sent to media.

Is he expecting a pat on the back for paying what they owe!

 

[MyQul]

Sorry but I have to ask never been to a wetherspoons or heard what the owner is like I know it's a cheap eat and budget drinks establishment but what did he do to make every one so against him

From what I can see, backed Brexit, and like the vast majority of the population voted for the Tory party in their landslide victory in the elections.

This isnt the reason I (and I suspect other people) see him as a tossers. He refused to pay his workers until the goverment furlough scheme had been sorted out and he'd been reimbursed any money he was out of pocket from the government

https://employeebenefits.co.uk/wetherspoons-stops-pay-reimbursement/
He eventually caved in but not through the goodness of his (coal black) heart but due to public pressure

https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/coronavirus-covid-19-jd-wetherspoon-staff-pay-180504281.html

 

[Guybrush Threepwood]

This isnt the reason I (and I suspect other people) see him as a tossers. He refused to pay his workers until the goverment furlough scheme had been sorted out and he'd been reimbursed any money he was out of pocket from the government

https://employeebenefits.co.uk/wetherspoons-stops-pay-reimbursement/
He eventually caved in but not through the goodness of his (coal black) heart but due to public pressure

https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/coronavirus-covid-19-jd-wetherspoon-staff-pay-180504281.html

They didn't refuse to pay the workers, they were paid for the work they did. They refused to take on all costs of furlough until it was settled with the government.
The staff can't expect wages for not working. Its the simplest part of a contract of labour. An exchange of time and effort in return for money. Wetherspoons isn't a charity. With the amount of employees I doubt the could afford to pay the wages with no business coming in.

 

[An Ankoù]

There is a Yoko Ono quote along these lines but I can't bloody find it now. Something like "As you get older you should take a step to the left every day, to counter the natural current to the right".

I've probably got the words a bit wrong, but that is the sentiment of it.

It's not this, is it?

Yoko Ono - Left Turn's the Right Turn - YouTube

Let your left foot lead you,
Let your right head speak to you,
Let your left hand meet you,
Let your right woman kick you.
Left hand's the right hand,
Left turn's the right turn.
Keep turning left and you'll get there.
Let your left foot lead you,
Let your right mouth speak for you,
Let your left eye meet you,
Let your right man love you.
Left hand's the right hand,
Left turn's the right turn.
Keep turning left and you'll get there.
Let's get there together,
Let's get there together,
Let's get there, sisters,
And let's get there, bothers,
Let's get there, let's get there,
Let's get there, let's get there.

 

[Guybrush Threepwood]

It's not this, is it?

Yoko Ono - Left Turn's the Right Turn - YouTube

Let your left foot lead you,
Let your right head speak to you,
Let your left hand meet you,
Let your right woman kick you.
Left hand's the right hand,
Left turn's the right turn.
Keep turning left and you'll get there.
Let your left foot lead you,
Let your right mouth speak for you,
Let your left eye meet you,
Let your right man love you.
Left hand's the right hand,
Left turn's the right turn.
Keep turning left and you'll get there.
Let's get there together,
Let's get there together,
Let's get there, sisters,
And let's get there, bothers,
Let's get there, let's get there,
Let's get there, let's get there.

Knees bent, arms stretched, RAH RAH RAH

 

[MickDundee]

Wetherspoons isn't a charity. With the amount of employees I doubt the could afford to pay the wages with no business coming in.

If they were a charity they’d be expected to have unrestricted reserves amounting to 3 months of expenditure and they wouldn’t need to rely on Government handouts to pay their staff on time!

 

[Clint]

That Yoko bird didn't waste her time...

 

[MyQul]

They didn't refuse to pay the workers, they were paid for the work they did. They refused to take on all costs of furlough until it was settled with the government.
The staff can't expect wages for not working. Its the simplest part of a contract of labour. An exchange of time and effort in return for money. Wetherspoons isn't a charity. With the amount of employees I doubt the could afford to pay the wages with no business coming in.

Fair enough, a misunderstanding on my part. Interesting that he was forced to do a uturn due to public pressure if he was doing the right thing though, isnt it?

 

[Guybrush Threepwood]

Fair enough, a misunderstanding on my part. Interesting that he was forced to do a uturn due to public pressure if he was doing the right thing though, isnt it?

To be fair, Im not sure they caved to public opinion. It seems that they were waiting for government confirmation and then finally got that and moved forward.
Whatever you think of Timmy boy, he's not daft. I think its unlikely he would want to lose trained and experienced staff and have to replace and train new people up to speed.

 

[MyQul]

To be fair, Im not sure they caved to public opinion. It seems that they were waiting for government confirmation and then finally got that and moved forward.
Whatever you think of Timmy boy, he's not daft. I think its unlikely he would want to lose trained and experienced staff and have to replace and train new people up to speed.

Neither do I think he's daft. He couldnt build up such a successful business if he was. If he was just waiting for Government confirmation of the scheme he should of held fire before announcing he was letting all his workers go and then having to row back. May be he was trying to do the right thing and just cocked it all up, but his 'go get a job at Tesco' comment also came across as heartless and didnt endear him to many people

 

[Guybrush Threepwood]

Neither do I think he's daft. He couldnt build up such a successful business if he was. If he was just waiting for Government confirmation of the scheme he should of held fire before announcing he was letting all his workers go and then having to row back. May be he was trying to do the right thing and just cocked it all up, but his 'go get a job at Tesco' comment also came across as heartless and didnt endear him to many people

I think the whole Tesco comment was misconstrued (possibly on purpose by some of the media). I'm pretty sure it was meant as "I can't afford to pay you if you are not working, but I am happy for you to work elsewhere until this is sorted out". If I was an employer I wouldn't want to pay wages without getting labour in return either.

 

[Clint]

...depending on whether your business was cash rich and you cared..and you could see it recover in a reasonable time.
If your business wasn't...you can't do it full stop and if you've got share holders snapping at your heels that would stop you too..

 

[MyQul]

I think the whole Tesco comment was misconstrued (possibly on purpose by some of the media). I'm pretty sure it was meant as "I can't afford to pay you if you are not working, but I am happy for you to work elsewhere until this is sorted out". If I was an employer I wouldn't want to pay wages without getting labour in return either.

Tbh I dont think there's anything wrong with the message, 'Im happy for you to work elsewhere'. But from what other forumites (Mickdundee I think) posted, the chain made profits of over 100M (how long that it is over I dont know. A year may be?). What these wealth creators conveniently seem to forget is that it wasn't them that created the wealth it was their employees. If profits and shares divedends have to take a hit so wages for workers can be paid in such an unprecedented time. So be it

 

[Clint]

Yes..I agree but the business was more likely bankrolled by investment who expect a return...that is their wages. The 100 million quid would have been swallowed up in dividends,refurbs,new outlets and other expenses...

 

[MyQul]

Yes..I agree but the business was more likely bankrolled by investment who expect a return...that is their wages. The 100 million quid would have been swallowed up in dividends,refurbs,new outlets and other expenses...

True but he should be reminding these investors 'we're all in this together'

 

[Clint]

We are all in it...some up to the neck..others are dipping a toe...same old...