unions threatening to withdraw keyworkers

[nuttymomma]

Just spoke to someone I know who is a senior legal person for a large well known union.

Due to concerns around safety, lack of PPE etc, many keyworkers are saying they are not wanting to work and apparently the unions will encourage and support them to refuse to work for their own safety.

This would really fuck up the NHS, care homes, social care, education etc.

I don't know what to think!

Complete martial law would be the next step.

The whole world is struggling with PPE its not neglect

I kind of get it. I’m a key worker, we have no ppe despite unions requesting it.

It would make the government act if they did.

I think it's totally reasonable to be honest. If we are expecting key workers to put themselves at risk for the greater good of saving us all then they need to be properly protected.

No, there wouldn’t be martial law - it would still be BoJo in charge

The military, under the same MACA arrangements that mean they are building The Nightingale, may well have their list of tasks added to

Reasonable. Why should people risk their health and even their life ?

Well, what do people expect? Why should keyworkers do without PPE and safe working practises?

My DDad says it would lead to martial law if true and would damage not only the reputation of the NHS but also the reputations of the unions? He says it would put more lives at risk than are currently at risk, better to have care without PPE than no care at all.

It's totally reasonable, I hope that they hold the government to account. Not sure that a judge will allow it given the state of emergency, but who knows.

I know some keyworkers (not NHS) who are looking carefully at section 44

section44.co.uk

Fortunately the unions don’t listen to your ddad.

Why is he such an expert?

And yes, if a task is too unsafe to do without PPE, then one of three things needs to happen:
a) PPE is provided
b) the task is reconfigured so it can be done safely without POE, but perhaps with other precautions
c) the task is postponed

But if there is substantial risk of death by postponement, then someone will need to do it. Ideally a volunteer for the role, who understands the risk/benefit of the task (such as frontline HCPs) and who can take at least some precautions

The government has a duty to get the ppe to the keyworkers to keep them safe. Well done unions for pressuring the government

Better for who? Not the staff working without PPE or their families!
Tell Boris and co to come and work with frontline staff with their woefully inadequate PPE.
Oh but your DDad says it’s Better to have care with no ppe than no care at all so he must be right.

‘ My DDad says it would lead to martial law‘

I don’t think he really understands what martial law is.

Wouldn't the agencies snap up the striking workers and contract them back to the NHS with hazard pay or something like this?

I didn't say DDad was right, was just repeating his POV

It would be very alarming though if we had no key workers.

I think it's reasonable. Why should they? It's bad enough that so many are having to still travel by public transport too, especially in London. The government should be paying for all of them to travel to and from work in black cabs that have been cleaned and disinfected first, if we're talking about what is fair.

Surely the unions are just doing what they're supposed to do, protecting the workers under their care. If they don't step in when issues are raised, what is the point of paying to be part of them?

If you want key workers, protect your key workers.

Nuttymoma can you link to it?

My union have been pressing for this, but all we’ve had is a radio silence.

"I don’t think he really understands what martial law is."

I would imagine something like keyworkers are given the choice of doing their jobs or of being arrested by armed police and placed in a cell somewhere.

Emoji

Link to what?

If you mean my conversation with the person I know, it was an email I got from an individual rather than a collective email so I don't want to share it as I wasn't given permission to share it.

In a pandemic it's a disaster to expose the front line staff to it. They get sick and potentially die and this accelerates the situation as there is noone to deal with the sick people. PPE is one of the 1st rules of a pandemic. My husband is an ITU consultant, I am a GP and we would not see patients without PPE. All the guidance that has come to him states he must not see anyone unless adequately protected. There is no emergency in a pandemic. We must be calm, safe and protect our front line workers.