Livelihoods ‘at risk’ as staff told: Stay out of office till September
Business fears as swathes of economy kept in lockdown
NICOLA Sturgeon has been accused of putting livelihoods at risk by keeping non-essential staff out of the workplace for at least another six weeks.
The First Minister said September 14 is the earliest possible date that offices and call centres can reopen, but it could be even later.
Miss Sturgeon also indicated that working from home will remain the ‘default’ position for some time to come as she set out how the battle against coronavirus will continue to have a major impact on the lives of Scots for months.
The move is a hammer blow for bars, restaurants, cafes and shops which rely on trade from office workers. Miss Sturgeon also said that gyms, swimming pools, theatres and live music venues will have to stay closed until mid-September.
Business leaders warned the decision will put livelihoods on the line – but the First Minister insisted that allowing a faster reopening of the economy could spark a deadly resurgence of Covid-19 in Scotland.
Andrew McRae, Scotland policy chairman for the Federation of Small Businesses, said: ‘The First Minister has identified the right national priority. Getting schools up and running full-time will not only benefit young people, it will provide muchneeded relief to working parents and a boost to local economies.
‘But we cannot forget the local businesses which the Scottish Government has today indicated will not be able to open until late August or even September.
‘The pandemic is no more the fault of the local driving instructor or personal trainer than anyone else, but their livelihoods will take a greater hit.’
He added that keeping nonessential offices shut ‘will upend’ city centre economies.
Miss Sturgeon provided an update to MSPs yesterday following the latest three-weekly review of lockdown restrictions.
She will not yet allow Scotland to enter phase four of exiting lockdown and warned it is ‘possible’ phase three may have to continue beyond the next review date in three weeks’ time. A series of ‘indicative dates’ were set out for other restrictions to be relaxed.
These included, from August 24, the return of outdoor live events, organised contact sport, bingo, funfairs, casinos, snooker halls and driving lessons.
From September 14, gyms and swimming pools are expected to be able to reopen, as well as theatres, music venues, indoor sports courts and stadiums – although spectator numbers will be limited. Non-essential offices and call centres will not be able to reopen before September 11, documents state, although the First Minister suggested it will not be before September 14.
Miss Sturgeon said: ‘We do not take these decisions lightly but, at present, we are not confident that we can restart all of these activities safely within a shorter timescale.
‘Doing so could risk a resurgence in the virus and undermine our ability to get children
‘We do not take decisions lightly’
back to school.’ She said ‘caution remains essential’ and she wants to open up society and the economy ‘as quickly as we safely can’.
‘But we do not want to have to reimpose restrictions because the virus has taken off again, or shut down sectors that have already reopened,’ she added.
‘That stop-start pattern can be seen in other countries already and, in my view, it is potentially more harmful to the economy in the medium to long term than a more careful and slightly slower approach to reopening now.’ Referring to spikes in cases in parts of Europe, she said: ‘If we are not very careful now then in two or three weeks’ time we could easily be facing here in Scotland some of the issues we are hearing about in the news from around the world.’
She said non-essential offices and call centres should expect to remain closed until at least September 14 ‘and possibly later’.
She added: ‘Even then, working from home and working flexibly will remain the default position. By staying at home, office workers and employers are playing a vital role in helping suppress the virus and ensuring our transport network remains safe.’
Tracy Black, director of CBI Scotland, said: ‘Pushing back the date for the reopening of nonessential offices to “no earlier than September 14” creates confusion for many businesses. What firms need is a clear, indicative date that allows them to start planning.’
Dr Liz Cameron, chief executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, said further delays in getting people back to work ‘may result in permanent job losses and business closures’.
She added: ‘We appreciate and understand the cautious approach the Scottish Government has adopted but we urge it to bring this date forward should the spread of the virus continue to remain at acceptable low levels.
‘Preventing the spread of the virus is everyone’s responsibility and we must all continue to follow guidelines to safeguard lives, jobs and livelihoods.’ Dragon’s Den star Duncan Bannatyne has warned he could be forced to close his health clubs in Scotland, putting 600 jobs at risk, if they are not allowed to reopen by the end of August.
Yesterday, another operator, Pure Gym, said it is ‘extremely disappointed’ that its venues cannot reopen until September 14.
In a statement, it said: ‘We have a vital role to play in the fight against obesity which is a public health challenge in Scotland and right across the UK.’