Unions in Covid-19 safety plea to bosses

UNIONS are encouraging employers to sign up to a Covid safety pledge designed to ensure workplaces adopt measures that minimise the spread of the virus.

The Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) and the Independent SAGE group of scientists have supported the pledge.

It requests that employers ask workers who have coronavirus symptoms to stay at home while infectious, and provide support while they do so.

The legal requirement to self-isolate has been ended in Scotland but guidance says those with symptoms should stay at home until they feel better.

The safety pledge also asks that employers riskassess their workplace to safeguard against the spread of infection.

Organisations that sign up to the scheme will be able to present “Covid safe workplace” signs on their premises.

STUC general secretary Roz Foyer said: “It’s vitally important the legacy of Covid-19 isn’t a rollback on workers’ safety or rights.

“The Covid-19 safety pledge allows employers to stand by their workers, ensuring the highest levels of protection against infection are taken, in addition to supporting staff and consumer wellbeing whilst on their premises.”