Covid in Sweden: concert of casseroles by restaurateurs against the government

Concert of casseroles in Stockholm, January 14, 2021. Restaurant owners and their staff feel trapped because of the restrictions that deprive them of customers.

via REUTERS - TT NEWS AGENCY

Text by: RFI Follow

2 min

One would think that countries without curfews and lockdowns have fewer economic problems than others.

It's not always the case.

In Sweden, restaurants are still open but customers are scarce, government aid does not arrive, and employees have found an original method to show their discontent: the concert of casseroles. 

Publicity

Read more

With our correspondent in Stockholm,

Frédéric Faux

The noise of casseroles: this is what you can hear every day at 3 p.m. in the streets of Stockholm.

Restaurant owners are protesting against the government, which has not yet paid the promised aid.

Unlike many of their European colleagues, Swedish restaurants and cafes are still open.

They just have to respect a distance of one meter between the tables, no more than 4 people per table, and recently a closing at 8 p.m. if they sell alcohol.

But the Swedes also obeyed overwhelmingly the instructions asking them to stay at home and for Anders Köpte, of the Pyttirian restaurant, this ability to stay open was a trap.

 The city center is like a ghost town.

We lost around 80% of our turnover.

Because even if you are open, there are no customers.

It might have been more advantageous to simply close down against compensation for wages and fixed costs, so that we could survive.

We are not against the restrictions, but we want what the government has promised us. 

"

The

restrictions in place

are scheduled until February 7, but they could be extended.

According to the union of hoteliers and restaurateurs, 100,000 people have already lost their jobs in this branch. 

Newsletter

Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_FR

  • Sweden

  • Coronavirus

  • Companies

On the same subject

Covid-19: Sweden limits gatherings to eight people, a shock for the population

Sweden: the king recognizes the failure of the strategy to fight against Covid-19

Reportage

Covid-19: unprecedented restrictions enter into force in Sweden