Gambling giant Genting Casino is to make up to 1,642 redundancies in what union bosses are calling a “slap in the face to workers”.
The global corporation, one of the largest gaming companies in the UK, will slash jobs across its 32 clubs and hotel and complexes throughout the UK.
It also intends to permanently close three clubs at Margate, Torquay and Bristol, leaving a huge question mark hanging over the future of the prestigious Crockfords club in the heart of London, the GMB union said.
Proposals put forward by the company include ending Poker games and its hospitality services, the union said.
It said taxpayer cash has funded Genting to the tune of millions of pounds.
Mick Rix, GMB national officer, said: “This announcement by the company is nothing short of outrageous. It’s a serious slap in the face to loyal and long serving staff - as well as UK public.
“Taxpayer’s cash has funded Genting to the tune of millions of pounds during lockdown - now they are making people redundant rather than contribute towards the Government furlough scheme from the end of August.”
Genting Casino workers are being represented by GMB, the union for leisure and hospitality workers, which has warned that proposals to close the three casinos are “just the start” for the nation’s leisure and hospitality sector, which is at breaking point.
Casinos which will remain open, such as the one in Plymouth, are expected to face job cuts. Workers there have been on furlough under the Government’s Job Retention Scheme.
It is not known exactly how many people work at each casino, but there are seven GMB members in Plymouth and six in Torquay, for example, but this is not all the workforce and the union expects numbers to be into double figures at each site.
Gentings has been consulting nationally with the GMB Union over the potential reductions in headcount. The company said they are needed due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Workers at the firms sites have been informed of the proposals in a letter from chief executive Paul Willcock.
In the statement sent by Mr Willcock to employees, he said: "The Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic has caused unprecedented challenges."
Mr Willcock went on to say there was a "huge financial impact on our business and...significant uncertainty for the foreseeable future", and added: "I am therefore forced to contemplate some very difficult options to ensure survival.”
