HARD-PRESSED stallholders are facing two days of lost takings as a market closes its doors.
Huddersfield’s Queensgate Market, which is owned by Kirklees Council, is shut today and tomorrow because of the council workers’ strike.
Thousands of members of the Unison union are taking industrial action against a 2.45% pay offer.
But stallholders expressed little sympathy for the striking workers.
Helen Beaumont has run a clothes stall for 10 years.
The Newsome woman said: “I don’t think the strikers should be fighting for their families at the expense of ours.”
Mrs Beaumont, 59, added: “My father was strict Labour and I was brought up in a household where the working man had to fight for his rights. But you can’t equate those days with today.
“People have cars and plasma TVs. They’re not fighting to earn a living; there’s an element of greed creeping in.”
Shirley Haigh has worked in the market for 10 years.
The Linthwaite woman, who works at a rug stall, also criticised the strikers.
She said: “I don’t think it’s fair; we’re prepared to come to work and we’re losing pay because of this.
“We only get the minimum wage here so the strikers are still better off than us.”
Mrs Haigh added: “Many of our customers aren’t happy about the closures, especially the older people.”
But support for the strikers came from Shahid Mahmood has run a clothing stall in the market for seven months.
The Bradford man said: “It’s not good that the market will close because the economy is bad at the minute.
“Business is going down day by day so we can’t afford a strike.”
But Mr Mahmood expressed sympathy with the striking workers.
He said: “All over the world prices are going up, so pay demands are rising as well. Everyone needs more money to buy food.”
