Barworkers hit out at smoking ban claims
A barworkers’ trade union today claimed new industry figures proved allegations that the pub trade would be devastated by the smoking ban were unfounded.
The Mandate union, which represents thousands of staff in Irish pubs, said the Central Statistics Office (CSO) data disproved claims made by the vintners’ organisations.
John Douglas, the union’s General Secretary, said the CSO stated that bar sales declined by 5.3% in the full year since the ban was introduced – only slightly above the decline in the bar trade which began in 2001.
“A lot of claims have been made over the last year or so about the negative effect the smoke-free workplace legislation is having on the bar trade in Ireland,” he said.
“Some bar trade represetatives have suggested that trade has declined by anywhere between 15% to 25%.
“The CSO figures show in fact a modest decline of 5.3% only slightly above the annual rate of decline – of over 4% – which has prevailed since 2001.”
Mr Douglas also said it was not possible to attribute the increased decline in the bar trade since the smoking ban’s introduction to itself.
He highlighted the fact that there had been a major increase in bar prices during 2004 and many economic commentators have suggested that this has been a major problem for consumers and the trade as a consequence.
“It is also important to point out that claims of thousands of job losses by the vintners’ organisations are also somewhat dubious,” he said.
“To our knowledge, these claims are largely based on subjective interviews with bar managers or owners and not on objective economic information.
“Our union’s records b losses in the greater Dublin area have been in the order of a couple of hundred, not the thousands that have been claimed,” he added.
