OK, so Government announces we must all #StayAtHome for 3 weeks, all non essential workplaces must close. You work in non essential work & expect to be laid off with 80% pay as gov. promised. Turning up for work you are told it will stay open
no physical distancing, no hand sanitiser, no special precautions for #COVID19 . Boss says under no circumstances will you ever get 80% wages for being off. What do you do? Who enforces this? HSE? Police?
Well turns out that enforcement will be done via Local Authority Trading Standards ad Environmental Health with back up from the Police. Although the Police force in this areas said when asked they will only deal with pubs, clubs and hospitality..
But hang on, didn't most people hear ###StayAtHome unless going to work as an essential worker? Yes, me too. But in fact its only specified workplaces that are required to enclose and for which enforcement action can be taken: gov.uk/government/new…
Manufacturing and construction,.. and others are not on this list. In fact see gov.uk/government/pub…
Where you see this: "Keeping your business open-
With the exception of some non-essential shops and public venues, we are not asking any other businesses to close – indeed it is important for business to carry on....
With the exception of some non-essential shops and public venues, we are not asking any other businesses to close – indeed it is important for business to carry on....
However, you should encourage your employees to work from home unless impossible for them to do so.
... Certain jobs require people to travel to their place of work – for instance if they operate machinery, work in construction or manufacturing, or delivering front line services
... Certain jobs require people to travel to their place of work – for instance if they operate machinery, work in construction or manufacturing, or delivering front line services
Workers in small manufacturing company where no orders, being required to turn up for work breaching HASAWA and specific PHE #COVID advice , scared for their health have nowhere to turn for help when employer won't access gov. help to guarantee 80% pay & can't live on SSP .
Mixed messages, reversed message, confused press conferences, lots of promises but the devil is always in the details when it arrives which lets employers off the hook and leaves workers unable to enforce their legal right to safe, healthy workplace. So what to do?
Complete & send in a Reporting a Concern form on HSE hse.gov.uk/contact/concer… and hope that the dire conditions which put workers at risk of serious and imminent danger will be picked up and action taken? @H_S_E Ring MP? oh, no-one answering.Workers need to organise, join union
Don't know about you, but not at all sure thIs sounds like our PM has his 'arms wrapped around' us, or he's paying debt he owes, or that he's putting workers lives & health first, making their health& safety paramount. Sounds suspiciously like same old no enforcement. 
Learned yesterday lockdown in Italy was on public sector/services, individuals not manufacturing. Many factories esp. in Lombardy/ North carried on. Acted as #COVID19 incubators? Yesterday in UK 'stop non essential work' hadn't banned manufacture/construction as above. Lessons?
Only action by workers, wild cat and national strike by some unions put a stop to this. In UK many unionised workers are organising and won sick pay for all from day1, PPE, closures of libraries on full pay etc. Join Facebook Corinavirus workers support group to share activism.
