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Boris Johnson has been warned by unions that ordering many people to return to work since Monday is a “recipe for chaos” in the absence of urgent measures to safeguard workers’ health.
The prime minister said Sunday that anyone who cannot work from home should be “actively encouraged” to return to work starting Monday. Detailing plans to gradually reopen the British economy after more than a month of tough checks during the health emergency, he said those in particular manufacturing and construction jobs should be encouraged to return.
However, union leaders said the road map was too confusing and vital measures to protect people returning to work were lacking. Frances O’Grady, TUC general secretary, said: “The government has not yet released a guide on how workers will be kept safe.” So how can the prime minister, 12 hours in advance, tell people that they should return to the sites and factories? It is a recipe for chaos. “
John Philips, acting secretary general of the GMB union, said: “More conflicting messages from the government, saying the shutdown is endless, but asking everyone to get back to work.
“If ministers want the economy to move again, we need strict rules on hygiene and social distancing, enough PPE for everyone, regulations that employers cannot ignore if they feel like it.”
Dave Prentis, Unison’s general secretary, said: “There should be no shortcuts, you shouldn’t play fast and lose employee safety.” The economy is important, but lives are also important ”.
Business leaders said more measures would be needed to safeguard workers before the economy could reopen completely.
Carolyn Fairbairn, CEO of CBI, said: “This announcement marks the beginning of a long process. While stopping work was necessarily quick and immediate, restarting will be slower and more complex. It must go hand in hand with plans for schools, transportation, testing, and access to PPE. Businesses will want to see a roadmap, with dates they can plan for. “
Stephen Phipson, chief executive of Make UK, the manufacturers’ trade group, said he welcomed the prime minister who asked the factory staff to return to work. “However, it is essential that there is clear advice on how to do it, and an understanding that companies will be helped to comply while navigating unknown waters and will not be punished for inadvertent mistakes.”
Taking steps to modify controls over social life and business in Britain, the prime minister said a gradual reopening of stores would start in early June, while parts of the hotel industry could reopen from July. However, it is understood that this will not include pubs.
With the economy on the brink of the deepest recession in more than three centuries, Johnson said those who return to work should avoid using public transportation if possible. However, transport unions warned that this could be practically impossible and that they could be forced to take matters into their own hands if the trains and buses were to fill up.
Mick Whelan, secretary general of the Aslef train drivers union, said: “Correctly, social distancing limits capacity on public transport, and if we believe that staff or the public are at risk, we will not hesitate to ensure that everyone is protected. . “
Manual Cortes, secretary general of the TSSA transport union, said sending people back to work was dangerous and risked turning railroad workers into “cannon fodder” for the sake of Tory donors in the building. He said the idea that people could go to work without using public transportation was “a ridiculous notion.”
“It will cause chaos, and our transportation network is not ready for any increase in passengers,” he added.
Johnson’s plan could risk fueling a growing gap in society between people who cannot work from home and those who generally have better paying jobs where possible. According to the Resolution Foundation expert group, less than one in ten of those in the bottom half of all earning in Britain can work from home.
According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, almost 60% of workers in London can work from home, compared to 38% in the northeast. The expert group urged ministers to offer incentives to companies to help them adapt to more home work, arguing that the benefits would be felt for society at large from lower levels of virus transmission.
