Firms ‘not consulted’ about route back from lockdown
BUSINESSES have been ignored in new government rules for relaxing the lockdown, it has been claimed.
Industry body CBI Scotland raised concerns business leaders are not being consulted as Scottish Government officials draw up new workplace guidelines.
It also pleaded for a clear timeline for when businesses will be able to reopen and raised concerns that ‘contradictory’ guidance in different parts of the UK could cause clashes between employers and workers.
Other business leaders warned MSPs of the threat of a ‘massive rise’ in unemployment as firms struggle to reopen.
Nicola Sturgeon will publish a route map out of lockdown on Thursday but yesterday warned she will not be able to put ‘firm dates’ on businesses being able to resume.
Tracy Black, director of CBI Scotland, said one of the ‘key questions’ she has put to the Scottish Government relates to who is involved in separate working groups drawing up workplace guidance on Covid-19.
She said: ‘There are 14 working groups. We know there is one on energy but one of Scotland’s key energy companies is not involved
‘Strongly urge we have more transparency’
in these discussions. We know there’s one looking at life sciences but I know some of the key trade associations in that area are not involved. So we would strongly urge that we have more transparency to give confidence to the public that the right people are part of that.’
She said differing rules on lifting aspects of lockdown in Scotland and England have already been ‘difficult’ for businesses.
She added: ‘We absolutely get that the “when” may differ between the different parts of the UK but we don’t believe the “how” needs to vary.
‘We would strongly urge the Scottish Government to look at the UK guidelines that came out last week that actually focus more on workplace settings.
‘In England, they produce clear stated goals for when business can reopen. These timelines can be flexible.
‘But they give a clear outline to business because they can’t just restart overnight: they need to get their supply chain back in play, need to get their staff trained on social distancing measures and they need to look at their cashflow. This is where this unified approach is critical.
‘What we want is to avoid a repeat of the tensions we saw between employers and workers partly caused by contradictory guidance on which businesses could continue to operate.’
The Scottish Chambers of Commerce (SCC) said 58 per cent of businesses surveyed said they would need a week or less to get up and running under a partial or complete end of the lockdown. However, 69 per cent said they would need clear advice and guidance from government to make a recovery.
During a virtual meeting of Holyrood’s education committee yesterday, Liz Cameron, chief executive of the SCC, admitted many firms will not be ‘rushing back’ to resume normal operations – and said clarity on availability of personal protective equipment must be built into the workplace guidelines.
She added: ‘Even with the job retention scheme, I think there is going to be a massive rise in unemployment.’
Miss Sturgeon said: ‘The phasing has to be driven not by arbitrary dates on the calendar but by the evidence and data of how the virus is operating.’
A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘We have established working groups with employers, unions, regulators and others to develop guidance on safe workplaces which has the confidence of businesses and workers. The CBI has welcomed our engagement with businesses during this crucial time for Scotland’s economy.’