The UK’s biggest trade unions have told the Prime Minister that they will not recommend their millions of members return to work unless the Government guarantees “the right policies and practices are in place to make workplaces safe”.
Leaders of Unite, Unison, the General, Municipal, Boilermakers (GMB) and the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (USDAW) said in a letter to The Observer that significant numbers of their members have died while engaged in essential work during the pandemic.
They wrote: “After years of cuts, the government must boost funding for pro-active monitoring and health and safety enforcement. And we need a public information campaign so rogue bosses face sanctions.
“The trade union movement wants to be able to recommend the government’s back-to-work plans. But for us to do that we need to ensure that ministers have listened and that we stay safe and save lives at work too.”
Their warning comes with Boris Johnson expected to unveil a coronavirus warning system when he outlines his plans to gradually ease the lockdown while dropping the “stay home” slogan.
The Prime Minister will instead tell the country to “stay alert, control the virus and save lives” when he outlines his “road map” to a new normality during an address to the nation this evening.
