Clwyd West Assembly Member Darren Millar is calling for action to ensure that the many people in North Wales who rely on the income from seasonal work in the tourism industry are supported in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
Many of these workers do not qualify for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme as they were not employed by February 28th so Darren is urging both the Welsh Government and the UK Government to take action to address this.
Raising the matter with the First Minister, Mark Drakeford AM, during yesterday’s virtual Welsh Parliament session, Darren said:
“As you will be aware there are many people in North Wales who rely on seasonal work in the tourism industry to financially support themselves and their families throughout the year.
“Many of these individuals will not have been employed by the 28th February and therefore do not qualify for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. As a result there will be families who will struggle financially and the whole North Wales economy will be disproportionately impacted by the lower spending this causes.
“Given the significance of the tourism industry in Wales, what plans do you have to support those seasonal workers and what consideration has the Welsh Government given to extending the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to include those who can provide evidence of a history of seasonal working?”
The First Minister replied: “The gap in the job retention scheme is a gap that only the UK Government can plug. But I will be very happy indeed to make sure that that point is conveyed to people who are responsible for the scheme.”