Business
Statement re Press Comment - Replacement
Statement re Press Comment - Replacement.
About this update from J D Wetherspoon Plc
[{"type":"text","content":"\n \n \n \n RNS Number : 6150A\n Wetherspoon (JD) PLC\n 02 June 2021\n \n \n \n \n A non material typographical change has been made to the Statement re Press Comment announcement released on 02/06/2021 at 12:24 p.m. under RNS No 6092A.\n \n \n \n \n \n The changes are identified with an asterisk (*).\n \n \n \n \n \n The full amended text is shown below.\n \n \n \n WETHERSPOON (J.D.) PLC\n \n \n Released 2nd June 2021\n \n \n \n \n \n JD WETHERSPOON PLC\n \n \n \n \n \n NEWS RELEASE - CORRECTION\n \n \n \n \n \"The Telegraph newspaper published an article online yesterday (\"Wetherspoons boss calls for more EU migration as bars and restaurants tackle staff shortage\" - 1 June 2021), which misrepresented Wetherspoon's position. \n \n The Telegraph journalist contacted Tim Martin, the Wetherspoon chairman, and requested comments regarding reports of staff shortages in the hospitality industry generally.\n \n Following the press query, Mr Martin personally made enquiries within the company and, in subsequent texts to the journalist, said \"anecdotal feedback from … pubs since reopening [is that there are] lots of people applying generally.\"\n \n Mr Martin's texts also said that for a \"new pub opening last week (in a town in North Yorkshire), for example, [there were] 160 applications for 70 jobs.\" \n \n Mr Martin's texts added that \"there were 20 applications for four vacancies\" in a Bedfordshire pub and there was \"a good volume of applications for vacancies in Bletchley and Milton Keynes\".\n \n Mr Martin concluded that it was \"a reasonably good position for JDW in the country\" and that \"recruitment is more challenging in some seaside towns- but that's no different to what we experience in any year.\"\n \n The anecdotal evidence provided by Mr Martin was not reported by the journalist, who instead said that \"British pubs and restaurants struggle to recruit staff in the post-pandemic labour market squeeze\". \n \n The journalist also said \"pub and restaurant bosses warned they were being forced to shut sites during the crucial lunchtime trade due to a shortage of workers\", which the article implied was a problem for Wetherspoon- and which is clearly not true from the evidence pr...