Hair and beauty professionals led by industry bodies such as the Hair and Beauty Industry Confederation (Habic), the Irish Hairdressers Federation (IHF) and the Irish Spa Association have taken part in an SME protest march in Dublin to warn the Government about the the struggles small businesses are facing.
At the protest, which was MC-ed by Ivan Yates, they joined restaurateurs, publicans and other business owners in a march to Leinster House, where various industry representatives spoke about a number of issues, including the current Vat rate of 13.5%, which was not reduced in the recent Budget.
Addressing the crowd, Yates said he knew the protesters would rather be anywhere else than in Dublin, away from their businesses, which was costing them money.
He said they wanted to draw attention to the rising costs they are facing, including increases in the minimum wage, paid statutory sick leave and a new pension auto-enrolment scheme. These are policies that have “arrived virtually all at once”, he stressed, while businesses were already grappling with soaring energy costs and inflationary pressure.
Among those who spoke was Edvard & Pink owner and co-founder of the Irish Spa Association Anita Murray, who said the beauty and spa industry has been “brutalised” over the past two to three years.
“We’re seeing businesses closing, left right and centre and it’s just no longer sustainable,” she noted. “There’s the economic impact and also the importance of our industry in terms of wellbeing and what we offer our communities. We really need the Government to start listening to us.”
