Shop union's plea over wearing face masks

Government plans to scrap the mandatory wearing of face masks and social distancing in public places will put more shop workers in danger of catching Covid-19, says a union boss.

Shop workers’ union Usdaw general secretary Paddy Lillis, says the Government should not be removing the requirement for face coverings and social distancing in busy public areas.

He said: “Retail staff are working with the public every day and are deeply worried about catching Covid-19. This is not the right time to water down safety in stores.

“To speak about the wearing of face coverings in these settings in terms of personal responsibility, ignores the reality that public facing workers have no option but to interact with large numbers of people as a part of their job.

"The main purpose of face coverings is to protect others and the Government must send out a clear message on this.”

Usdaw – the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers – is the UK's fifth biggest trade union and has over 400,000 members.

Mr Lillis added: “Usdaw is urging the shopping public to continue to wear face coverings, along with hand sanitisation and maintaining social distancing to help make shops safer places for everyone and limit the spread of Covid-19.

“Many retail workers are at a greater risk of catching the virus and bringing it home to their families.

"Supermarket workers and delivery drivers have worked throughout the pandemic to keep the country supplied with essentials. These key workers must be valued, respected and protected.”