The Workers Union is asking the government to take a serious tougher stance against lapses in workplace safety.
The announcement comes as figures released by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) show that there were 2,945 complaints about serious workplace safety issues between the 6th and the 14th of January.
Meanwhile the Observer newspaper reported that as many as one in nine workers had been told to go back to their workplace when home working options were available. For workers on zero hour contracts and other insecure work, the picture was equally difficult, with one tenth saying that they had returned to work within ten days of a positive COVID-test.
The article also revealed that there had been no prosecutions of companies for Coronavirus safety related issues since the current lockdown began. In response HSE said that its inspectors ‘continue to be out and about, putting employers on the spot and checking that they are complying with health and safety law.’
The Workers Union Serious on Workplace Safety
Another day, another tale of woe – and this has a good case to be one of the grubbiest episodes yet. People on low wages or little guaranteed income are treated like a disposable resource by company chiefs hell-bent on profit at all costs. Can’t get into work because of Corona? Just move along then, we’ve always got some other willing sucker we can exploit.
This can’t be allowed to continue. The health and safety of working people is of paramount importance and should be treated so by those in positions of authority. Workers – particularly workers on low incomes – feel compelled to cut short self-isolation. Two weeks away from earning money is simply not an option for them – particularly when their ‘reliability’ can be called into question at any time.
There are two main issues here: one, the government must offer more financial help for people in this situation, and, two: there must be a reckoning for firms content to break health and safety rules at the expense of other people.
The Workers Union has campaigned long and hard on this topic and we will continue to do so until more is done to help working people from being exposed to heightened risks and management malpractice.
The Workers Union – Fighting for Social Justice, Fighting for You
