Adam Williams has criticised the Department for Business and Trade’s plans for the new Employment Rights Bill after discussing the proposals with employment minister Justin Madders during a recent visit to the pier.

Adam Williams has hit back at a press release from the Department for Business and Trade which appears to imply employees at seaside tourism businesses are being exploited, as the government prepares a new Employment Rights Bill.

Published just days after employment minister Justin Madders visited the pier and spoke to the Tir Prince team, the release namechecked “arcade operators on the pier” as those due to benefit from “improved living standards and financial security.”

“All my staff love working there,” Williams told The Times. “A lot of them have been there for years and years. We give them more hours than they actually want. We look after them massively as they work hard.”

Describing Madders as “a very nice chap,” Williams added “I take my hat off to him for actually visiting our industry. We rarely get anyone of any importance meeting our industry. I really thought the meeting went a lot better than that release.”

Williams said he paid staff “mainly above the minimum wage,” and warned Madders that one-size-fits all rights rules could not apply to the seaside sector, especially proposals to establish guaranteed hours for employees based on the previous three months.

“Four or five months of the year we might be shut in different locations,” he said. “No one seems to respect what seaside business, tours and hospitality on the coast means to the country, especially Wales.”

“You are not understanding what our needs are and we can’t cope with what he’s proposing.”

Tax, costs and more red tape

Adam Williams said… “You are not understanding what our needs are and we can’t cope with what he’s proposing…