Coronavirus: Businesses call for 'clarity' as unions warn of 'recipe for chaos' over return to work
The British Chambers of Commerce says "clear guidance" on PPE, social distancing and government support schemes is vital.
Monday 11 May 2020 09:00, UK
Boris Johnson is facing calls for "clear guidance"聽from businesses and unions聽after he set out "the first sketch of a roadmap" for easing the coronavirus lockdown.
Mr Johnson said "anyone who can't work from home, for instance those in construction and manufacturing, should be actively encouraged to go to work".
But workers should avoid public transport "if at all possible" because "we must and will maintain social distancing", he added.
Following the prime minister's announcement, the British Chambers of Commerce said that advice on personal protective equipment (PPE), social distancing and government support schemes was vital.
Adam Marshall, director general of the BCC, said: "Companies will do everything they can to protect employees and customers, maintain social distancing and operate successfully as more sections of the economy are permitted to reopen.
"Businesses will need to see detailed plans for the phased easing of restrictions, coordinated with all nations across the UK and supported by clear guidance. It is imperative that companies have detailed advice on what will need to change in the workplace, including clarity on the use of PPE.
"Firms will also need to know that government support schemes, which have helped save millions of jobs in recent weeks, will continue for as long as they are needed so that they can plan ahead with confidence.
"The timing of further easing of restrictions must be guided by the public health evidence, but businesses need their practical questions answered so they can plan to restart, rebuild and renew."
Jonathan Geldart, director general of the Institute of Directors, also called for further clarity so that companies can plan how to return safely.
"As people with ultimate legal responsibility, directors need to have confidence that it's safe, and that if they act responsibly they won't be at undue risk. Businesses should consult with their people to put in place robust policies, which in many cases might not be an overnight process.
"For a large number of firms, operating under social distancing rules will mean significantly reduced activity, so the government's support measures must match continuing restrictions.
"A more flexible furlough system would help businesses get back on their feet, bringing people back to workplaces gradually. Meanwhile, countless small company directors continue to find themselves left out in the cold, unable to access the government's aid, and this need to be changed quickly."
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Richard Jones, of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, insisted that health and safety must come first.
"People shouldn't re-enter workplaces until employers are certain that they're properly managing the risk of infection and providing the support that workers need," he said.
"Prevention has to be the focus because, if organisations don't get this right, workplaces can become places of transmission."
With the prime minister yet to say how workplaces would be made "COVID-secure" with social distancing measures and PPE, unions quickly struck out at the plans.
TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said: "Boris Johnson's statement will cause working people a lot of confusion and anxiety.
"The government still hasn't published guidance on how workers will be kept safe. So how can the prime minister - with 12 hours' notice - tell people they should be going back to sites and factories? It's a recipe for chaos."
John Philips, acting general secretary of the GMB, said: "More mixed messages from the government - saying there's no end to lockdown, but asking everyone to go back to work.
"If ministers want the economy moving again, we need strict rules on hygiene and social distancing, enough PPE for everyone, and regulations employers can't just ignore if they fancy it.
"The overall message is contradictory and confusing, when what people really need is clarity."
The Rail, Maritime and Transport union advised its members not to work if they felt unsafe, saying the government was shifting away from the stay at home message, which would unleash a surge in passengers on the railways and Tubes from Monday, breaching social-distancing measures with "potentially lethal consequences" for staff and the public.
Dave Ward, general secretary of the Communication Workers Union, said the new "stay alert" slogan was meaningless rhetoric, adding: "The prime minister told millions of people they can immediately return to work - with 12 hours notice for many, telling them they can't use public transport and with no assurances on whether PPE, social distancing and other safety measures will be in place.
"That wasn't a message from the prime minister. It was a message from big business and those who put profit before people."
Mr Johnson will provide more detailed plans to gradually ease the lockdown today when the government publishes a 50-page document in parliament.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak is also said to be considering his next steps for the furlough scheme, which has seen the Treasury spend more than £8bn paying salaries in order to prevent layoffs.