Strikes having 'an enormous impact' on Yorkshire Coast businesses
There has been industrial action by several sectors
Businesses on the Yorkshire Coast are being affected by strikes according to Filey Trade and Tourism Association.
There has been industrial action by several sectors like Royal Mail.
It is another day of major disruption on the trains as drivers go out on strike.
Members of Aslef Union are walking out in a row over pay and Nigel Roebuck represents workers here and said: "Our members haven't had a pay rise in three years and obviously we accepted no pay rise through the pandemic in which our members worked every day on the frontline taking risks.
"Their utility bills, gas, electric, broadband, cost of food etc is going up. It affects them too. This is the third year where they haven't had a pay rise and it's starting to hit their pockets as well.
"These people that travel by train, that are working people, also see very clearly that the cost of living is affecting them. The support, to be fair, when we've been on the picket lines has been really good and people do understand it.
"I don't think anybody wants to take strike action. We're not a trade union that takes strike action at the drop of a hat. For some of the companies, they haven't been involved in industrial action for nearly 30 years but we've got to a point where enough's enough. I think nobody wants to inconvenience the travelling public but the anger should be directed at the Department for Transport adn the Government."
Impact on businesses
Andrew Jenkins, Chairman of Filey Trade and Tourism Association, said: "It's had an enormous impact. There's quite a significant number of people coming on holiday to the area or just visiting or coming here on business, all of which use the train and they're not there. It's having a massive impact right now.
"The hospitality industry thinks since the strikes started they're looking at £2.5 billion worth of losses. It's just colossal and we're all being impacted. It really is down to the strikes and they've got to get round the table and get this sorted because if people aren't coming on the trains, it's going to wipe businesses out.
"It could be a really good year for hospitality if people can get to places. We've got significant issues with the cost of living and hopefully more people will be holidaying again in the UK this year. It's what we really, really need for businesses to be supported so it's not just going to take the Government but everybody to help these businesses to be there for the future.
"All of the shops bar one is a privately owned shop in Filey and they rely on mail order especially at this time of the year to help their businesses along. I know many have had to bring their sales dates earlier or their final posting dates earlier for Christmas and people still didn't receive their parcels.
"Businesses are really taking a hit on this. If people can't get their products to customers via the mail then we're going to have to look at other routes, all of which are expensive, all of which make products more expensive, which impacts again so there's so many knock-ons to this."