Rail strikes timed to cause ‘maximum pain’, says pub boss Phil Urban

Mick Lynch has timed the rail strikes to cause maximum pain for businesses and workers, says one of Britain’s biggest pub bosses.

Phil Urban, chief executive of Mitchells & Butlers, warned that rail union leader Lynch, who last month insisted he is ‘not the Grinch’, had intended the industrial action to ‘cause everyone the most pain’.

Urban said the action will be a blow to those relying on extra hours and higher tips in the run-up to Christmas.

‘If you are Mick Lynch this is the time to do it, because it is causing everyone the most pain. 

But for somebody who is talking about the rights of his members, he is ignoring all the people who have been through a torrid two years.

‘There are people who rely on Christmas and want to work and see the opportunity to make tips. 

‘But there is also the human aspect, that people have been working at home and on their own all year, and see their Christmas party as the one chance to get together.

‘That has been taken away from them, and I think it is really poor.’

But Urban added: ‘I am optimistic we will still have a good Christmas, because this time last year, Chris Whitty had told everyone to stay away from pubs.’

Mitchells & Butlers, which has more than 1,700 pubs, swung to an £8million profit in the year to September 24, from a £42million loss the previous year. 

That came as sales doubled to £2.2billion in the year. Shares jumped 6.5 per cent, or 9.2p, to 151.2p.