The local president of the Canirac, Roberto G. Canton Barros, reported that since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic to date, 4,000 restaurants in Yucatan have closed.
MERIDA Yucatan (CANIRAC) – The Yucatan’s restaurant industry continues to suffer from the Covid-19 pandemic, the economic situation, the lack of support from the government, the “new normality” and to make matters worse, establishments operate at only 25% occupation, with the extension of the “dry law” until September 17. The situation has become at catastrophic levels, and numbers of closings change minute by minute because
“About 4,000 units (restaurants) of prepared food sales have already closed up to this point. What we are trying to do with this reactivation is to have no more business closures. Those that we can reactivate are not only to close but also to reincorporate into our businesses all the jobs that have been lost because there are many unemployed in the industry”. Roberto G. Canton explained.
The local president of the Canirac also said the new phase of reactivation that began with a dialogue with the government, so more businesses in the productive sectors will be opened, respecting the health rules.
“The ‘dry law’ affects restaurants because they only operate at 25% of their capacity. When this percentage is met to keep the healthy distance, from 10 tables, only 3 or 4 remains, and those who go to eat at the establishments accompany their food with some beer or wine”.
With this direct communication with Governor Mauricio Vila Dosal, he considered a faster and more effective economic reactivation for the benefit of all the State’s economic sectors.
Regarding jobs, he pointed out that there are no updated figures in the Social Security or the Canirac because the information changes minute by minute, but what is very real is that 50% of the active workers in this industry have zero to low incomes because more than half of their total perceptions are from tips and they are not receiving them.
The restaurant owners made every effort to pay their workers’ nominal wages even if they were not working so that they would not lose their jobs, but their income is incomplete because they did not receive tips.
G. Cantón Barros participated in the virtual press conference convened by the Business Coordinating Council. They announced the installation of dialogue tables with the state government to accelerate the reopening of businesses.
Another businessman who participated was Fernando Ponce Díaz, president of Coparmex Mérida, who also referred to the unity of the private sector in this new normality stage.
The Coparmex leader said that the coordinated work they do with the state government is for the benefit of the productive sector and the community.
“Many of the questions we asked have not yet been answered, and in the coming week, agreements may be reached that will be implemented in September. We want to work in coordination with the Executive so that we don’t fall into a red light again. The purpose is to reach strong agreements with the government, there is already a change in the orientation of the strategy, and that is good,” said Ponce Diaz.
So far, the Business Sector and the governor hold a direct dialogue in a proactive sense, trying to agree on new strategies.
