'My venues are being held hostage and destroyed by Tube strikes'

Andy Kerr says the strikes significantly impact his businesses (Picture: Getty)

London’s nightlife are pleading with Tube strikers to rethink their planned action saying they ‘can’t cope with any more losses’.

Drivers from the RMT union will walk out for days at a time over the spring months over the introduction of a four-day work week.

Not only will this leave Londoners battling to get to work,but for some business owners this could be the final nail in the coffin for their livelihoods.

And they feel like they are building ‘held hostage’ as unions and the London Underground fight.

‘These strikes always seem to come when the chips are down,’ Andy Kerr told Metro.

Andy owns five cocktail venues across the capital,including The Umbrella Workshop in Shoreditch,the Discount Suit Company in Whitechapel,and Parasol in Hackney.

‘It can take off 40% off our daily take-home’

Andy Kerr,the owner of The Sun Tavern,fears he will have to close the business

And every time strikes come around,he and his employees are affected ‘really,really badly’.

He said: ‘The strikes can take off up to 40% of what would be our evening trade. It completely destroys our night.

‘We rely on people across the capital to come and see us,but if customers have no way of getting here and getting home of course they are going to cancel their bookings.’

The strikes come at a time when venues face dwindling post-pandemic footfall and soaring business rates – which for Andy is adding an extra £30,000 a year.

‘Death by one thousand cuts’

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