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CoronavirusHealth and safetyLatest News

Labour urges government to close non-essential workplaces

by Jo Faragher 1 Apr 2020
by Jo Faragher 1 Apr 2020 Shadow employment minister Rachael Maskell has called for non-essential workplaces to close
Danny Lawson/PA Archive/PA Images
Shadow employment minister Rachael Maskell has called for non-essential workplaces to close
Danny Lawson/PA Archive/PA Images

The shadow employment minister has called or all non-essential workplaces to be closed in a letter to the prime minister.

Labour MP Rachael Maskell urged the government to close workplaces such as call centres and factories during the coronavirus crisis as employees were putting themselves and others at risk by continuing to work there.

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She said many people continued to work without access to protective equipment or adequate hand-washing facilities, despite government warnings that those in non-essential roles should stay at home.

Earlier this week the GMB union claimed that 98% of warehouse workers at an ASOS site in Barnsley felt unsafe because no social distancing measures were enforced, and that hundreds of workers were taking breaks at the same time.

While shops that stock non-essential goods were forced to close last week, many warehouses, online businesses and call centres continue to operate.

Around 330 Argos concessions inside Sainsbury’s stores remain open for customers to collect items they have ordered online. In a recent House of Commons business select committee, evidence from workers claimed that people were buying “paddling pools, play sand, wardrobes, TVs, video games and consoles – all non-essential”.

Large numbers of self-employed workers have also continued to work as they fail to qualify for the chancellor’s emergency support package, announced last week – the financial support does not pay out until June, and many fall through the cracks if they have recently begun trading. Some workers from standalone stores claimed they had been forced to work in Sainsbury’s outlets, putting themselves at risk.

Maskell called for the “strict and enforceable closure” of non-essential sites. She said: “Workers have reported the unsafe environments that they are working in where there is no appropriate PPE (personal protective equipment), often little or no hygiene facilities or appropriate deep cleaning, and in the vast majority of examples, no social distancing practices.

“As a result of this, workers are not only being exposed to the risk of infection, but risk spreading coronavirus too.”

Workers having to take public transport to their place of work increased this risk, she added.

Even at the NHS frontline there continue to be issues around the provision of PPE to doctors and nurses.

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According to the Doctors’ Association UK, NHS employees are being warned by hospitals and other NHS employers that they should not raise concerns about lack of protective equipment publicly – in some cases staff have been threatened with disciplinary action or have been sent threatening emails.

Dr Samantha Batt Rawden, present of DAUK, said at least two doctors had been sent home from work for voicing their concerns.

Jo Faragher

Jo Faragher has been an employment and business journalist for 20 years. She regularly contributes to Personnel Today and writes features for a number of national business and membership magazines. Jo is also the author of 'Good Work, Great Technology', published in 2022 by Clink Street Publishing, charting the relationship between effective workplace technology and productive and happy employees. She won the Willis Towers Watson HR journalist of the year award in 2015 and has been highly commended twice.

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6 comments

tracy 1 Apr 2020 - 10:53 pm

people should stop buying things they don’t NEED

Dean 12 Apr 2020 - 1:27 am

I agree shut all non essential places down I work in paint factory it’s still open and have a partner in the vulnerable group I did get told I could stop off but wouldn’t be paid I

andypep 3 Apr 2020 - 4:47 pm

How much did the Central Bank pay her?
Try as hard as they like to bring the worlds economy crashing down so the Bank Of England, the Federal Reserve and the other 120 privately owned central banks can claim it was the pandemic that caused the economic crash, not the 100-year robbery of the people.
WHY do they charge us interest for printing OUR own money.? Because it is a giant scam, enabled by decades of corrupt politicians.

Annon 20 Apr 2020 - 7:54 am

I work in a mailing house, there is no social distancing, and the general manager thinks
the coronavirus is over hyped. he has no regard for the wellbeing of the workers.
all he is bothered about is profit

Anon 7 Jan 2021 - 9:02 pm

I work in a distribution centre for a national carpet retailer. It has stayed open through the 2nd lockdown, moving into tier 4 and now tier 5. I wasn’t allowed to see my family over Christmas and new year. Yet I can risk my health so people can buy a carpet. Tory policies have actively spread this disease while protecting their chums in business.

Kristina Valentina Moskal 18 Jan 2021 - 4:07 pm

Close all online clothing warehouses.
Businesses are looking at profit over lives.
Lots of cases but not being reported.
People who are positive for Covid are still coming in to work for fear of loosing their jobs or not getting paid. As long as this carries on it will take much much longer to get back to normal and there will be a lot more lives lost.

Comments are closed.

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