A WEST Belfast burger restaurant has issued an apology and said a now deleted post was “taken well out of the context".
It comes after Belfast Burger Company, based on the Falls Road, responded to the public sector worker strike on Thursday. The day saw more than 150,000 public sector workers take part in the biggest strike in recent history in a demand for the pay uplifts given to their colleagues in the rest of the UK.
A now deleted post on their Facebook page hit out at the rising costs of business for those who are self employed and added: “I would like to see half these people on strike do a week in hospitality or self employed they would all go back to their jobs thinking twice how easy they have it.”
Following the deletion of the post the business added a new post saying the original message “was not aimed to cause offence nor was it intended in anyway to demonstrate in anyway that I do not support public service workers in any field".
"It is very easy for words to be taken way out of their intended context. That’s the reason I removed the post, not to shy away from it but it is clear it was being taken well out of the context (in which) it was intended,” it added.
"I openly apologise to anyone who found it offensive or discouraging for them standing up for what they believe.
"I never said or intended for it to be understood I am against strikes, people have the right to stand up and be heard on all matters that they believe in. The post openly said I do not think the minimum wage is enough to reflect the cost of living or the work ethic behind each person who goes to work in any field.
"We don’t always get it right and the important thing in my eyes is when you get it wrong hold your hands up and learn from it as not to make the same mistake in the future."
