Tottenham have reversed their controversial decision to place around 550 non-playing staff on furlough and say they will now pay staff in full.
The Premier League side have now announced that they will pay wages in full throughout April and May after receiving heavy backlash from supporters.
“They sold us the dream and delivered a nightmare!” – Tottenham fan blames Daniel Levy and club owners for crisis
Spurs are the second side to perform a u-turn after initially indicating they would use the government-led scheme, that allows up to 80 per cent of wages up to £2,500 to be paid by the state, following in Liverpool’s footsteps.
A club statement read: “We have decided that all non-playing staff, whether full-time, casual or furloughed, will receive 100 per cent of their pay for April and May. Only the board will take salary reductions.”
The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust rallied strongly against the move, with the pressure ultimately paying off.
The statement added: “In view of supporter sentiment regarding the scheme, it is now not our intention to make use of the current CJRS (Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme) that runs until the end of May.
Give COVID-19 the red card
The quicker we work together to stop coronavirus spreading, the sooner we can get back into the pubs, the gyms and stadiums and arenas to see live sport again…
STAY AT HOME. Only leave for the following purposes:
- to shop for basic essentials – only when you really need to
- to do one form of exercise a day – such as a run, walk or cycle, alone or with other people you live with
- for any medical need – for example, to visit a pharmacy or deliver essential supplies to a vulnerable person
- to travel to and from work – but only where this is absolutely necessary
For more info and tips, visit the NHS website.
The government has also issued further detail on what we can do during lockdown.
Everyone should do what they can to stop coronavirus spreading.
“We shall consult with stakeholders, including the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust with whom we have been in dialogue over the past week and who share our desire to protect jobs, should circumstances change going forward.”
Meanwhile, Spurs have also announced that equipment has now been installed at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium so it can “operate drive-through Covid-19 testing and swabbing for NHS staff, families and their dependents”.
In addition to being the first Premier League ground used for testing, the club said: “The stadium has been repurposed and fitted out to house the North Middlesex Hospital’s Women’s Outpatient Services, freeing up much-needed capacity at the hospital itself to treat patients with Covid symptoms, whilst supporting the redirection of pregnant women away from the hospital during the pandemic.”
