MSP HITS OUT OVER £58M MASK FIRM’S SWEATSHOP PROBE
Bully claims whitewashed
Bosses investigating bullying at a £ 58million taxpayer-funded PPE factory have been accused by an MSP of a whitewash.
Executives from US firm Honeywell met Richard Leonard to discuss claims by whistleblowers that they were badly mistreated while working at their complex in Newhouse, Lanarkshire.
But Leonard was told their own internal investigation had found none of the allegations could be confirmed.
It comes as more whistleblowers come forward to complain about the company, including a former soldier who claimed being on patrol in Afghanistan was better than working at Honeywell.
Leonard plans to write to UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid about Honeywell’s working practices and the behaviour of its management.
He said: “I believe the company’s investigation into themselves was a whitewash. It was an exercise in self-denial, obfuscation and cover-up. The outcome was clearly pre-judged.
“That Honeywell choose to use a phrase like ‘cannot confirm the allegations’ suggests they cannot deny them either.”
Last month five female whistleblowers told the Sunday Mail that workers were forced to meet unrealistic targets of making 600 medical grade masks per hour for use by doctors and nurses on the NHS.
The women, who are aged between 50 and 65, also claim they were timed by managers as they did their job and went to the toilet, intimidated as they stood over them and ordered not to leave their seats. Some who struggled to meet targets or took days off sick were reprimanded or lost their jobs.
OUR HELL IN N HANCOCK’S £58m MASK SK SWEATSHOOPP Honeywell boss Romina Kananishoo and, right, our story After our September 12 article, vaccine. He was also reprimanded for Honeywell’s Romina Kananishoo taking time off when his son was ill. contacted Leonard to say the claims The ex-soldier says he was treated would be investigated. The former badly during his seven-month stint Scottish Labour leader had hoped to despite telling bosses he suffered meet the Honeywell boss in person PTSD after serving in Afghanistan. at the plant near Bellshill. But she He added: “Helmand Province was chose to do the meeting by video better than Honeywel l . You conference from her of f ice in couldn’t go to the toilet without Brussels with two executives permission, listen to music, from their UK HQ in Berkshire. talk or laugh.”
Staff claimed they were Honeywell said: “We forced to work in sweatshop conducted a thorough conditions after the factory’s internal review, including air conditioning system interviews with employees. failed and when they brought “We went through the their own fans in they were concerns and found they told not to use them. were false, unsubstantiated
Several more ex-staff have or taken out of context. come forward after reading “We also made it clear to about our investigation. One Mr Leonard we welcome 50- year- old woman, who the opportunity to meet asked not to be named, the anonymous workers claims she was told to “get off who spoke with him so the site” by a line manager we can better understand after she asked for a day’s holiday. their concerns.
And a 40-year-old man, who also “We held this meeting by teleasked not to be named, claims he was conference to ensure his safety and dismissed in April for taking two days that of our co-workers during this off after he had a reaction to a Covid time of pandemic.”
Being on patrol in Helmand was even better than working for this company