Leisure centres in Cardiff are making 35 staff members redundant as the company in charge struggles with the impact of coronavirus.
Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL) runs eight leisure centres in Cardiff and has announced voluntary redundancies.
The company, under the brand Better Cardiff, runs Llanishen Leisure Centre, Eastern Leisure Centre, Fairwater Leisure Centre, Western Leisure Centre, Pentwyn Leisure Centre, Maindy Leisure Centre, Star Hub, and Penylan Library and Community Centre.
Rhys Jones, partnership manager for Better Cardiff, said: “The leisure industry has been hugely affected by the pandemic and GLL has had some hard decisions to make.
“The closure of all leisure facilities across the UK for over four months during lockdown, coupled with the requirement to now operate at reduced capacity in order to comply with social distancing, has resulted in a significant loss of revenue for GLL, which is impossible to recoup.
“We are investigating numerous options, including voluntary redundancy, but not at this stage compulsory redundancies, to allow us to continue with a reasonable health and fitness offering across Cardiff and retain the majority of our staff.
“Staff consultation has now begun and discussions are ongoing with Cardiff council about the impact the pandemic has had on the leisure facilities we operate in Cardiff. We are working closely with the trade unions, staff and Cardiff Council to explore all available options for a long term solution.”
While GLL declined to give details on the number of planned redundancies, the local Unison branch said 35 staff members could lose their jobs.
Emma Garson, Unison Cardiff County branch secretary, said: “Everyone appreciates how leisure services have been affected by the pandemic, but that doesn’t mean local people have given up on their sports centres and swimming pools.
“Perhaps more than ever, Cardiff residents will need quality leisure services as they emerge from the coronavirus lockdown for the good of their mental and physical health. Staff are devastated, they love their jobs and what they provide to the local community.”
GLL began operating the eight leisure centres in December 2016, to save the council money. Subsidising the centres used to cost the council more than £3 million each year.
When the leisure centres were privatised, GLL said they would “not immediately” make staff redundant, instead saving money on “normal vacancy lag and natural turnover”, according to cabinet papers from July 2016.
Ms Garson said: “When leisure services were privatised in 2016, Unison warned they would no longer be run principally for the public good. We said without the council’s democratic control, local people would be denied a say in how leisure centres are operated.
“It’s essential Cardiff doesn’t fail a whole generation of children and local communities by worsening their access to leisure centres.
“Unison has called on the council to urgently intervene and guarantee funding to safeguard jobs and ensure service quality is not reduced for local people.”
Cardiff Council declined to comment.
Leisure centres across the country have struggled with the impact of Covid-19, as they were forced to close during the first lockdown, and reopen with strict social distancing rules.
According to research from the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity, 48 per cent of public leisure facilities are at risk of closing permanently by the end of the year, without support from central government.
