Tuesday 19 May 2015

LCCI responds to likely rail strikes over May Bank Holiday

Commenting on likely rail strikes over May Bank Holiday, Colin Stanbridge, London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Chief Executive said:

"We know that poor quality train services into and out of London have a significant impact on the capital's businesses and rail strikes will do nothing but exacerbate these issues.

"A rail strike over a Bank Holiday weekend could cripple many small businesses, particularly those who rely on tourists and day trippers for trade. Small businesses and traders in particular are severely impacted if staff are unable to make it into work - with fewer staff in a small business, each one counts."

Polling by ComRes for London Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the first quarter of 2015 found that:

• Two thirds of London businesses have been affected by commuter train problems in the last year
• More than half of business leaders(58%) have been affected at least once in the last year by a member of staff being late to work due to rail delays, more than one in ten firms (14%) are affected at least once per week
• Almost half (48%) of businesses have had a member of staff unable to come to work altogether in the past year
• 40% of business leaders named poor reliability and punctuality of commuter train services into London as one of the top three issues affecting their business
• LCCI sees the rail problems continuing, with little sign of things improving and calls for action to resolve the ongoing issues

ENDS

Media contact
Jo Hooper, Press & Media Relations Manager
T: +44 (0)20 7203 1897
M: +44 (0)7827 241528
E: jhooper@londonchamber.co.uk

NOTES TO EDITOR:

London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) is the capital's largest and most representative business organisation, with members ranging in size from multi-national companies to SMEs and sole traders.

Colin Stanbridge is available for further comment and interview.