UK business chief predicts bleak winter for employers

Carolyn Fairbairn, the director general of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), has predicted a bleak winter for UK businesses at the organization's annual conference on Monday. /AFP

UK businesses have been warned to expect a tough winter with a second national lockdown and potential no-deal Brexit looming large on the horizon.

Carolyn Fairbairn, the director general of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), addressed business leaders at the organization's annual conference on Monday.

Fairbairn discussed the challenges facing businesses this winter and said it's imperative the UK works hard over the next four weeks to try to "save Christmas."

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She said: "Unfairness is perhaps the most striking thing about this pandemic. Parts of our economy are doing extremely well – other sectors are on their knees. That is going to affect livelihoods in very serious ways."

She added: "Christmas is a human thing, it is a business priority, and if we use these four weeks to really get on top of this virus let's try to save Christmas – not just for people and families but also for business."

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson was due to speak at the event but pulled out and in his absence Fairbairn said businesses need more guidance from Johnson and his government.

Fairbairn added that companies couldn't act on the basis of "speculation and leaks and surmise" and said Brexit could also throw another spanner in the works in the midst of the pandemic.

Boris Johnson, right, must give UK business leaders more clarity, says the CBI chief. /AFP

She said: "It would be unconscionable to unleash a no-deal Brexit on the countries of Europe, the UK and the European Union as we are facing this vicious second wave."

A host of business leaders from various industries were in attendance at the conference and said the pandemic could permanently alter consumer behavior and force businesses to adapt.

Unilever CEO Alan Jope said: "We're noticing a return to trusted brands. We're seeing a step up in conscious consumption, where people are paying attention to the social environmental impact of their choices. We're seeing a preoccupation with wellness and wellbeing, we're seeing 'e-everything'.

"The premium on trust, the move towards responsible consumption, the shift towards wellness and wellbeing and the digitization of everything are permanent shifts that are never going back in our opinion."