Fears virus guidelines could endanger low-paid workforce
WORKERS could be put at risk by loosened lockdown guidance, local leaders fear.
In a speech on Sunday (May 10) Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged employees who can’t work from home to go back to their jobs – with the exception of those involved in the hospitality industry, non-essential retail and salons.
In a televised briefing he singled out those in construction and manufacturing as being among those who should be ‘actively encouraged to go to work’.
Government guidance says workers should maintain a distance of at least two metres between individuals ‘wherever possible’ and ‘take all mitigating actions possible’ where it is not.
But in light of the Prime Minister’s address, councillors in Greater Manchester have raised fears that low-paid staff could be forced to return to unsafe workplaces for fear of losing their jobs.
Among them is Coun John Blundell, Rochdale Council cabinet member for Regeneration, Business, Skills and Employment, who claimed the move was ‘politically motivated’ – designed to appease Conservative voters who have lost out under the government’s grant schemes – and ‘nothing to do with protecting public health.’
New ‘COVID-19 Secure’ guidelines have been issued by the government – aimed at ensuring ‘the risk of infection is as low as possible, while allowing as many people as possible to resume their livelihoods’.
But as things stand, Coun Blundell says the council is virtually toothless when it comes to enforcement of social distancing.
“There are things in the Covid Act but there is a lack of guidance. Can you tell me or anybody else what the council is supposed to be inspecting when we go into a workplace?
“What criteria are we basing a decision on?
“This has to be done centrally.
“Every council in the country can’t take separate advice about what’s appropriate for controlling the Covid pandemic – this is pure political calculation.
“These are the people who ‘fell out of bed’ , people who have just voted Tory and are going to deflect blame back on to councils – that way they can get off scot-free.
“And they are putting the public’s health in danger by doing so.”
However, he added: “Our public protection team will continue to ensure that businesses which shouldn’t be operating, such as food and drink establishments, remain closed, and that those which are able to operate are doing so in a safe and responsible manner.”