I ALERTED COPS TO CLUSTER CENTRE IN APRIL
MSP Lennon contacted police after flood of complaints from terrified staff
AN MSP raised concerns three months ago about a call centre hit by Covid-19. Monica Lennon contacted police after being inundated with complaints from Sitel workers.
POLICE were asked to investigate the firm at the centre of the test and trace Covid-19 outbreak after workers feared they were being put at risk.
A Labour MSP referred the call centre to Police Scotland in April after being inundated with complaints about Sitel at the height of the pandemic.
Monica Lennon told police that one employee had reported to work at the call centre despite it being common knowledge that their partner was off sick with suspected coronavirus.
At least six workers at Sitel’s call centre at Maxim Park in Eurocentral, near Bellshill, Lanarkshire, have been diagnosed with the virus.
The staff who tested positive were working for NHS England’s Test and Trace programme.
Lennon, who is Labour’s health spokeswoman and a Central Scotland MSP, said: “It seems possible that it is more than coincidence that I received a cluster of complaints about this company in March, which I was highly concerned about, and now we are hearing about a cluster of cases.
“I was approached by young people, mainly, who felt their safety was being compromised and that they were not being given any support by their employer.
“We had lots of contact from people working for Virgin via Sitel, with complaints that gave me real concerns.
“The issues were so serious, I felt it was appropriate for the police to be made aware.
“I received information about several companies but Sitel and one other company were more alarming than the others and they were specifically referred to in my correspondence.
“People were concerned about the lack of two-metre social distancing. They felt they did not have adequate access to cleaning products and PPE throughout the day.”
Lennon wrote to Sitel in March, before contacting Police Scotland.
In an email from her office to Chief Superintendent Alan Waddell on April 15, a staff member wrote: “Monica got in touch with them (Sitel) a number of weeks ago as a large number of constituents who work there had contacted her to say they were still having to go to work to do non-essential call handling for the company with very little PPE or social distancing rules being applied.
“We have been advised that there has now been a member of staff formally diagnosed with coronavirus, there is no deep clean taking place and that the partner of the person diagnosed is still working in the call centre alongside hundreds of other people.
“There is still a policy of desk hopping and no cleaning products are provided for the staff to clean the areas themselves.”
The email concluded: “Monica would be grateful if you could investigate this issue with a matter of urgency to prevent any further public health risk.”
Police Scotland’s response suggested the matter would be referred to Environmental Health at North Lanarkshire Council.
The Scottish Government said yesterday the Sitel building has been closed while contact tracing continues.
Deputy First Minister John
Swinney has called for the company to be investigated and did not rule out penalties being levied against it.
A spokesman for Sitel said the outbreak was being “urgently investigated” alongside NHS Lanarkshire.
They added: “We take the safety and wellbeing of our staff very seriously.
“The site has been deep cleaned and all social distancing guidelines have been followed.”
An NHS Test and Trace spokeswoman said Sitel and NHS Lanarkshire are “following appropriate test and protect action in line with Scottish Government advice”.
She added: “We take the safety and well-being of our staff very seriously.
“Everyone at the site is currently working from home, while a deep clean takes place, and will be offered a test within the next 24 hours.”
A Virgin Media spokesperson said: “The safety of our people, whether they work directly or indirectly for Virgin Media, is always our top priority.
“Virgin Media is one of multiple organisations who use Sitel’s services at the site and we are in contact with the company to ensure all appropriate and necessary steps are taken in coordination with Public Health Scotland.”