Van der Valk sends angry letter to the government: ‘Enough is enough!’
Van der Valk, like all other hospitality businesses, has had enough. Especially now that shops are once again allowed to receive customers while the hospitality industry is still not allowed to welcome guests. ‘A line has been crossed,’ Van der Valk writes in an urgent letter to the government.
Social media is practically exploding with hospitality entrepreneurs furious about the latest developments surrounding the easing of the coronavirus restrictions. Very little remains of the years-long (yes, this misery has been going on for that long) ‘roll up our sleeves and get on with it’ mentality. They feel cheated because of the so-called compensation, because of the government’s inability to act and because the blame is being placed on the hospitality industry. Shops may allow people in again from Saturday, while there is still no room for the hospitality industry. Robèr Willemsen, chairman of Koninklijke Horeca Nederland (KHN), calls the cabinet’s approach ‘stupidity’ (hear, hear!), and from tomorrow many mayors will turn a blind eye if guests are present in hospitality venues.
Rules? So what?
The country’s largest employer, with more than 15,000 employees, has had enough too. In a letter to the government, Van der Valk says that it cannot guarantee that it will continue to comply with the rules.
The letter below was sent to Mark Rutte, Ernst Kuipers and Micky Adriaansens (Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy).
No longer justifiable
“Van der Valk can no longer accept a possible extension of the COVID measures by the government. The measures demand an unreasonably high price from our industry and are no longer justifiable from a business-economic or social perspective. It cannot be explained why different standards are being applied in different sectors and why policy in the Netherlands differs so greatly from that in neighbouring countries.
Our businesses abroad are open. As a result, the hospitality sector is being disproportionately affected. The measures are unreasonable and unbalanced compared with other sectors in our society and abroad. In short, there is a great deal of incomprehension, and we can and do not want to continue like this. In the Netherlands, Van der Valk is the largest employer in the hospitality industry, with more than 15,000 employees. During the pandemic, we have complied with the regulations and contributed to the public interest in several ways.
Together with our industry association, we have taken a constructive position and shown understanding. We have consistently taken the initiative by starting a dialogue and seeking a reasonable balance between public health and the economic consequences of this pandemic. The aim was to get through this crisis together. However, a line has now been crossed.
Financial problems
The deliberate choice to treat our industry differently from other industries and to make it subordinate in almost every consideration is causing significant damage to us and our industry peers. This is creating financial problems for business owners and has serious consequences for the mental health of our employees. In addition, the movement of employees to other industries is creating major structural problems within our field.
The current financial compensation schemes are inadequate and are particularly disadvantageous for large companies. In other European countries where Van der Valk operates, large companies receive much better support. The government is therefore placing a large part of the damage directly on our business owners and employees. Financial compensation for this damage is necessary, but much of it could also be prevented in the future by allowing us to operate safely and responsibly. As is also happening in other industries.
We have now reached a situation in which we must make a choice. If no suitable prospect is offered at very short notice, we will have no choice but to take responsibility for the continuity of our businesses and the well-being of our employees. We have respected the rules so far, but cannot guarantee that we will continue to do so without this prospect. Our hotels and restaurants can open safely to guests while observing the basic rules. At various points during this pandemic, we have demonstrated that we can deal adequately with Corona.”
To be continued…
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Source: Misset Horeca
