Staff need to be paid – they need their jobs back

Staff need to be paid – they need their jobs back

28 October 2015

A COMMUNITY rally to protest against the closure of the Portaferry Hotel attracted over 100 people on Thursday morning.

Beleaguered staff joined union officials and politicians to call for the reopening of the hotel, which closed suddenly last week.

The rally was organised by the union Unite, which represents several of the 22 staff members who have been left out of work by the closure.

Community activist and Unite member Greg Sachno addressed the crowd, calling on the hotel’s owners to reopen its doors as quickly as possible so people could get back to work.

Mr Sachno said over 20 families in the village faced a bleak future because of the closure, which happened unexpectedly on Monday after the hotel’s tenant confirmed plans to cease trading before the expiration of his lease.

He appealed to the building’s owner, Beannchor, to reopen the hotel with the support of existing staff.

“Staff need to be paid, they need their jobs and we want to see the lights back on,” said Mr Sachno.

“This fight is not just about the hotel’s workers. It is about Portaferry being a place to live, work and bring up your children. Without the hotel, Portaferry becomes somewhere to just pass through.

“You do not help working people by taking away their jobs and livelihoods. Take the locks off, turn on the lights and give the village a future.”

Portaferry SDLP councillor Joe Boyle said recent days had been gruelling for staff and also for a local couple who had been due to host their reception at the hotel on Friday.

“If we do not have tourism in Portaferry we will close down,” he said.

“I was at a meeting with the hotel’s owner and in his words, he was fully committed to its reopening.”

UUP councillor Richard Smart said it was concerning that workers had been left out of work without notice.

“I call on the owner to do the morally right thing and run this hotel. For the future of the business I ask them to open the does without delay.”

Alliance MLS Kieran McCarthy said the Portaferry Hotel was a fantastic venue formally years and said hew hoped to offer any help possible to ensure it reopens.

“This must have been devastating for the employees,” he said.

Newry, Mourne and Down Sinn Fein councillor Naomi Baillie, who is from Portaferry, called on as many people as possible in the community to get together to ensure the hotel reopens.

“We have seen the devastation of our town. Business after business is failing to receive the support it deserves.

“We need to unite and say we are not gong to accept this any more.

“The closure of the bank, the closure of Exploris have been the death knell in our town. We need to turn Portaferry back into an industrial town. We need to turn it around and stem the continuous drip feed of business closure and dereliction.”