AS welcome as it was, it was hard to get too excited over Nicola Sturgeon's announcement to scrap Scotland’s existing Covid restrictions. Not least because she and her government didn’t look too happy about having to make that decision in the first place.

“Brighter days lie ahead” though, starting this Monday with the binning of the iniquitous and ineffectual vaccine passports scheme. Followed three weeks later, on March 21st, cringingly referred to as Freedom Day – with the dropping of the mandatory wearing of face masks in all public places, including pubs, restaurants, and shops along with the one metre physical distancing rule and the legal requirement for businesses to keep customer contact details.

A dramatic change in approach that the FM says, “is possible only because widespread vaccination coverage and better treatments have reduced the direct harms of the virus”, something that Professor of Epidemiology Helen Colhoun and I pointed out in this column just over eight weeks ago.

Things can only get better, or so you would hope, particularly for our beleaguered hospitality, tourism and leisure sectors, which have borne the brunt of disproportionate lockdowns and curbs since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020.

But only if, and it’s a big if, they have enough staff to deal with any boom in trade. Sadly, at the moment, right across Scotland many are woefully short of the requisite numbers of skilled and unskilled workers to adequately cope with present demand – let alone with any sudden rise.

It is a major problem. In a series of meetings with various industry and trade bodies, including the St Alliance, NTIA, SLTA, STERG, and Glasgow Chambers of Commerce, all their members expressed grave concerns over the growing list of vacancies and chronic jobs shortages. It is particularly bad in our outlying rural areas, most of which are in tourist hotspots which are crying out for skilled chefs, catering staff, bar workers and housekeepers. It's a problem also acutely felt in our half-empty towns and cities, exacerbated by the lack of badged stewards, taxi and private hire drivers.

Now that the shackles of Covid restrictions and curbs are coming off, more needs done immediately by the Scottish Government, Westminster, and our local councils, to re-energise and revitalise our flagging economy to boost the jobs market. Their efforts so far feel a bit piece-meal and disjointed, and certainly lack the confident messaging required to boost business and consumer morale.

Leon Thomson, of UK Hospitality Scotland, reckons that between 30,000 and 40,000 jobs currently need filled and as more businesses reopen the higher end of that number will become a reality. He also said: “Hospitality needs more positivity and support from the Scottish Government. They must consider extending business rate relief at 50% from April to July and Westminster must also keep VAT at 12.5%."

In line with other trade bodies, he says home and hybrid working presents serious challenges for city centre business recovery. Many – hotels in particular – are reliant on corporate travellers rather than leisure visitors and there is no sign of that market returning any time soon.

Anecdotally, he says employers are suggesting that workers should only be in their offices about 40% of the time. For some it is even less than that. I fail to see how working from home, with a 60% drop in potential footfall helps regenerate our towns and cities. It’s a regressive move which hamstrings recovery and council leaders and senior officials, rather than encouraging home working should lead the way and set an example to others by returning to their workplace.

Stuart Patrick, of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, says: “We all know that retail, hospitality and hotel businesses have taken a pounding and are struggling to find the staff they need for their recovery. If ever there was a time for Glasgow to tackle this serious issue, then it is now.”

I couldn’t agree more, but this is a national problem and the Scottish Government and our local authorities should now be duty bound to try to solve them. Things will only get better when they are fully focused on job creation and a sustainable recovery.

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