A CAMPAIGN has been launched to save the city's iconic Sub Club.
The venue, which is situated on Jamaica Street and opened its doors on April 1, 1987, claim they have been denied access to the Government's furlough scheme.
They say that they applied for the scheme and continued to pay 31 staff members, 80 percent of their wages in order to support them – but have failed to get the money amounting to £31, 864 back.
The club claim they haven't meet the eligibility criteria for the scheme.
In a statement, the club said: "Following Government guidance we applied for the Employee Furlough scheme and continued to pay all 31 staff members 80% of their wages in order to minimise any disruption to individual financial circumstances, on the obvious presumption that the full amount would be reimbursed at the end of April once the scheme got up and running.
"Despite months of trying to address mistakes and errors on HMRC’s own system before the crisis began, we were eventually told we didn’t meet the eligibility criteria for the Job Retention Scheme, as our payroll information had been uploaded 1 day late, resulting in the refusal of our rebate claim of £31,864 which we had already paid to staff. It’s important to note that the cutoff date within the eligibility criteria was applied retrospectively, so this was not a mistake on our part, it was a failure on the HMRC system which has caused us to be barred from the scheme.
"Even worse, the furlough status of all 31 staff moving forward has been invalidated meaning we have had to place all our staff on unpaid leave. This includes our managers, our cleaner, our technical staff, our bar and door staff, and our office admin team. Despite multiple appeals supplying copious evidence to support our case and representations at the highest level of Government by our MP we still find ourselves in this perilous situation."
A crowdfunding campaign has been launched in a bid to raise funds to keep the legendary dance music venue open.
In a statement, the club said: "Today, we are saying something we never thought we would have to say again – the good ship Sub Club is in danger of sinking!
"We have faced many different trials and tribulations over the last 33 years, ranging from the infamous licensing curfew of the early ’90s to the building fire which forced the club’s closure in 1999 and led us to nomadic adventures, keeping the Subbie spirit alive in other venues until the fabled reopening in 2002.
"We have faced countless other challenges over the years and are currently still fighting a long-running and costly legal battle over noise issues arising from the grant of planning permission for a hotel development directly adjacent to the club, all of which has meant that the Sub Club has been very much a labour of love for all concerned for more than three decades.
"However, none of these situations hold a candle to the existential threat that the COVID-19 pandemic currently poses to the Sub Club, and indeed to club culture as a whole around the globe.
"As lockdown is gradually lifted and some elements of the life we used to live slowly filter back in, what is abundantly clear is the fact that underground basement clubs will be amongst the very last things to reopen. We were the first spaces closed and we will be the last to open.
"The level of UK Government support has fallen woefully short of what is required to protect the future of the Sub Club. We are very aware that many people are experiencing real financial difficulty, and for some the threat to their health and wellbeing is profound. We have had to think long and hard before reaching out to ask for your help. Nevertheless, if we want to Save Our Sub we find ourselves in a situation where we have to ask for your support."
A spokesman for HMRC said they do not comment on individual businesses.
The spokesman added: "The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme has been delivered at unprecedented pace and is protecting millions of jobs up and down the country.
“If an employer believes there have been mistakes or unreasonable delays with their application caused by HMRC, they should follow our complaints process which can be found on the gov.uk website.”
Managing Director Mike Grieve previously told the Glasgow Times about the cultural significance of the club when they celebrated their 30th birthday three years ago.
He said: "People regularly tell us that they go to university in Glasgow because of the club.
"The club is genuinely renowned around the globe. I think sometimes people don’t realise the cultural significance of electronic music and clubs, and how important Glasgow is in that scene."
You can support the campaign here
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here