Whilst the government pronounces, almost inhumanely, the deaths from Covid-19 death are now at 36,000, the real figures have been said to closer to over 55,000. Despite this death toll, the government is currently “actively encouraging”, or bullying furloughed and contract workers back to work. They are pushed to return to workplaces that lack any guarantee of adequate protection against the virus. The government’s “Covid-19 secure” guidelines identify measures which employers are called upon to implement but only “wherever possible”, a phrase designed as a cover for employers who fail to provide safe working conditions. The government is also pressurising primary schools and nurseries to open on June 1st. This move is opposed by all of the main education unions, and 27 Councils, who recognise that it will lead to increased infection levels amongst children, staff and parents. Southwark joint unions have been actively challenging the demands calling the government instruction, ‘reckless’.
In a statement sent to the News, branch secretary April Ashley (and Southwark Trades council secretary) called on the council to defy the government: “Southwark currently has one of the highest proportion of Covid-19 cases in London and black workers are more than twice as likely to contract and die of the virus. Reopening schools and nurseries will place the black community, and the children of key workers at great risk by allowing the virus to re-enter circulation. Everyone is worried about a second spike.”
ACTION: Please sign and share this petition and ensure your trade unions and community groups are aware and engaged in challenging this increased opening.
The government’s strategy for exiting the lockdown poses a threat to us all and must be resisted. Action by the labour movement is key. Now more than ever, we need to build strong, combative trade unions and community groups that are capable of taking on the government and the bosses – and protecting us! We would encourage you to join a union, get actively involved locally with networks if branches or workplaces are not meeting.
No-one should work in an unsafe environment, where there is inadequate provision of PPE or access to appropriate hygiene facilities or where social distancing cannot be practised. Workers cannot rely on bosses to provide such an environment. We must take safety concerns into our own hands, imposing our demands through organised action. In the past few months workers in libraries, postal depots, refuse, transport and cleaning have successfully taken action on health and safety grounds, walking off their jobs to force their employers to put in place proper protection against infection or to close unsafe workplaces.
There is legal support for such action. Section 44 of the 1996 Employment Rights Act (ERA) states that employees have the right to leave a workplace where they “reasonably” believe they are facing “serious or imminent danger.” The fact that the employer disagrees with this assessment – as is likely to be the case – is not the point: what matters is that employees reasonably regard themselves as facing a serious risk to their health and wellbeing in their workplace. Action taken under health and safety rules is not a strike and a ballot is not a legal requirement. The ERA gives workers the legal right to take this action without facing dismissal or loss of wages. The most effective way to protect ourselves and to prevent reprisals or victimisation is by taking action like this collectively.
We strongly encourage everyone to join a union and workers in every workplace should elect reps, including Health and Safety Reps, who can conduct onsite safety inspections and demand to see and scrutinise, UPDATED risk assessments that managements are legally required to carry out. (Find examples and advice here from UNITE, from GMB, from PCS, from Bakers Union, from RMT and Unison. Note some unions cover workers in several sectors and some workplaces, like Southwark council have multiple unions operating and organise together for a stronger collective voice.
As highlighted in many of the union guidance links above, decisions about safety should be made at the workplace level, led by workers. Workers who decide to leave an unsafe workplace should demand that their national union automatically endorses this decision and provides appropriate support. Southwark TUC thinks that union leaders and the TUC should be more actively encouraging their members to take such action, rather than providing limited verbal criticisms of the government’s plans and inactions.
If your union group takes action under Section 44, let Southwark TUC know. We will ensure that your case is publicised and we will do our best to mobilise solidarity.
Safety is not the only threat faced by workers during the current crisis. Many are being forced back to work in fear of unemployment and we are likely to face more attacks on our jobs and conditions in the coming months, as we are seeing at BA and Rolls Royce. Workers must be willing to take action, including extensive strike action, to defend their safety and conditions at work and to fight redundancies. A more fighting trade union leadership, as seen by the thousands joining NEU at present, attracts workers back to the unions and build their fighting strength. The national union leaders, and the co-ordinating national body, the TUC failed to organise a militant response to the years of austerity and cuts. They have been weak in their response to the COVID crisis – rank and file bus workers in London led the fight for safety measures. Help us build the fightback now, by building up our union power in workplaces across Southwark today.
Join the next open Southwark Trades Council meeting on Tuesday 26 May 6.30-7.30pm, please register by filling in the 4 sections below. You will get an online link sent to you from southwarktradeunions@gmail.com within 24 hours.
Southwark Trade Union Council 