The boss of Britain’s biggest nightclub group has attacked Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s ‘ludicrous’ plan to make revellers show vaccine passports to enter clubs.
Peter Marks, chief executive of Rekom UK, said young people have flocked back to nightclubs and would not ‘play ball’ with new rules set to be introduced next month. He said many would seek out illegal underground raves instead, where there were no safety measures.
Marks also warned that ordering his staff to be double-vaccinated could trigger employment disputes – particularly from ethnic minorities.
Door policy: Nightclubs will have to see proof of Covid status from next month
Marks, who runs 46 clubs across the UK, said: ‘What do I do with staff who have not had double vaccines through their own choice? Ask them to leave? They’ll sue me for unfair dismissal or discrimination.’ Night club revenues have soared since reopening on ‘Freedom Day’ on July 19, due to pent-up demand.
‘The genie is out of the bottle,’ said Marks. Last month, he and industry leaders Hugh Osmond, Michael Kill and Stephen Thomas warned Health Secretary Sajid Javid they could launch legal action over vaccine passports for nightclubs.
Businesses in New York City are suing Mayor Bill de Blasio over his ‘Key to NYC’ scheme, launched last week, which requires proof of one vaccination to enter restaurants, bars, nightclubs and gyms.
Kill, head of the Night Time Industries Association, said: ‘We need to respect people’s freedom of choice.’
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