News brief - 26/06/20 View this email in your browser
It is not safe to reduce social distancing measures, govt warned
As the government gears up to reduce social distancing measures from two metres to one metre, scientists and unions have warned that a relaxation in the rules is not yet safe.
Professor Watterson of the University of Stirling has spoken out about the plans, criticising Westminster's "incautious" approach to the virus. He urged politicians to wait for evidence that it is safe for people to break the two-metre social distancing rule before allowing them to do so.
His warnings are echoed by the Independent SAGE Group, which is chaired by former Chief Scientific Adviser Sir David King. The group questioned why the government was choosing to ignore the advice of its own SAGE commission to maintain two-metre social distancing.
Stephen Reicher, Professor of Social Psychology at the University of St Andrews, said as part of the Independent SAGE statement that the relaxation sends the wrong message to the populace and could lead people to gather together even more closely than one metre apart.
“The proposed reduction will have behavioural consequences and, in effect, dump the concept of distancing altogether. It sends a ‘back to normal’ signal when we are still in the middle of a deadly pandemic," he explained.
Elsewhere, transport union the TSSA will consider balloting its members on calling a national strike if the social distancing measures are relaxed on public transport - a sector that has already seen many Covid-19 deaths among those key workers that have kept public services running.
General Secretary of the union, Manuel Cortes, noted that the government appears to be making its decisions on economic - rather than health - grounds.
Indeed, the government's attitude to workers' safety has been called into question by tragic events at the Ministry of Justice after fear of taking sick leave among an outsourced team of cleaners led to a suspected outbreak in Whitehall. At least five cleaners showed symptoms, while one worker was sacked over text after he socially isolated while ill. Another worker who felt forced to attend work while unwell died within hours of finishing his shift.
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Too soon to reduce social distancing, scientists say
Evidence suggests that workplaces are a breeding ground for Coronavirus, yet the government is considering relaxing health and safety rules.
Read the full report
Govt cleaners ‘forced to work while ill with Covid-19’
One cleaner died hours after his shift after attending work while ill because he couldn't afford to live on Statutory Sick Pay.
Read the full report
TSSA considers national strike over social distancing relaxation
A government review into social distancing found that public transport is "high risk", but recommended a relxation on economic grounds.
Read the full report
IER and Covid-19
Due to the rapid spread of the coronavirus disease and the need to keep our staff, supporters and speakers safe, IER have decided to postpone all forthcoming IER events and meetings until further notice, including both Health and safety at work after Brexit conferences in Liverpool and London, the IER Executive Committee, IER AGM and our joint event with the Campaign for Trade Union Freedom on 6th June.
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