TGI Fridays staff 'locked out with no notice' as 35 branches suddenly close
More than 1,000 members of staff at TGI Fridays found themselves out of a job after the struggling restaurant chain suddenly closed its doors. The business shut 35 of its UK restaurants today, Monday, October 7,
The mass closure - which includes the TGI Fridays in Speke - came as a shock to staff members, who were given "less than an hour's notice" according to Unite Hospitality. The union, which represents bar, restaurant and cafe workers , said members had reported "zero notice or redundancy consultation", and had arrived at their restaurants today to find doors locked and padlocks changed.
They also said some staff members had been invited to a head office online call with just one hour’s notice, while some staff had not been invited at all, and that "workers haven’t even been told whether they will be paid".
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Unite lead hospitality organiser Bryan Simpson said: “The way in which workers have been treated across TGI Fridays today is a national disgrace. To close venues and lock people out their workplace with absolutely no notice is a moral outrage and almost certainly illegal. This is the same company that informed the press before they told workers that they had gone into administration. Now our members are being told that they may not even be paid wages for work done.
“We are currently supporting our TGI members through this incredibly anxious situation made worse by a completely inept senior management who are sending invites to meetings with less than an hours’ notice. We would encourage any affected workers to contact Unite immediately to ensure they receive everything they are entitled to.”
TGI Fridays collapsed into administration last month, putting 87 restaurants and around 3,000 jobs at risk. The brand was given a lifeline after securing a deal with Breal Capital and Calveton UK this weekend, meaning 51 branches will remain open, including the TGI Fridays at Liverpool ONE.
But 35 other branches have closed, resulting in 1,102 redundancies. TGI Fridays Speke, at New Mersey Retail Park, is still listed as "open" online - however its phone number is no longer working, and instead provides the message "This restaurant is now closed", along with instructions on how to locate your nearest TGI Fridays online.
A TGI Fridays spokesman said Teneo Financial Advisory Ltd was appointed as joint administrators of the company following its collapse. The administrators then completed a sale of 51 sites to Breal Capital and Calveton UK, including the transfer of 2,389 employees.
They said: "As part of the purchase, the buyers undertook a detailed analysis of store performance and had to take tough decisions on the overall shape of the UK footprint to ensure we run a sustainable business."
Senior managing director of Teneo Daniel Smith said: “The casual dining sector has been adversely impacted by well-publicised pressures on discretionary spend. This transaction with Breal Capital and Calveton UK preserves a significant proportion of jobs and will hopefully provide the business with the stability and support it needs to recover and grow. We thank all employees and other key stakeholders for their support at this difficult time.”