Month: May 2020

Working safely during coronavirus?

Guidance launched to help get Brits ENGLAND safely back to work

The UK Government has published guidance for employers in England to help them get their businesses back up and running and workplaces operating safely – but the TUC says the plans won’t make workplaces safe.

For the timebeing Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are sticking to their ‘stay at home’ message.

  • Practical guidelines published to make workplaces as safe as possible and give people confidence to go back to work during coronavirus pandemic
  • documents developed in consultation with approximately 250 businesses, unions, industry leaders as well as devolved administrations
  • up to an extra £14 million made available for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for extra call centre employees, inspectors and equipment
  • guidance provides employers with a downloadable notice businesses should display to show people they have followed the guidance

New ‘COVID-19 secure’ guidelines are available to employers to help them get their businesses back up and running and workplaces operating as safely as possible.

This follows the Prime Minister setting out steps to beat the virus and restart the economy, so we can protect jobs, restore people’s livelihoods and fund the country’s vital public services.

The government has consulted approximately 250 stakeholders in preparing the guidance. It has been developed with input from firms, unions, industry bodies and the devolved administrations in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales and in consultation with Public Health England (PHE) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), to develop best practice on the safest ways of working across the economy, providing people with the confidence they need to return to work.

The new guidance covers 8 workplace settings which are allowed to be open, from outdoor environments and construction sites to factories and takeaways. This sets out practical steps for businesses focused on 5 key points, which should be implemented as soon as it is practical:

1. Work from home, if you can

All reasonable steps should be taken by employers to help people work from home. But for those who cannot work from home and whose workplace has not been told to close, our message is clear: you should go to work. Staff should speak to their employer about when their workplace will open.

2. Carry out a COVID-19 risk assessment, in consultation with workers or trade unions

This guidance operates within current health and safety employment and equalities legislation and employers will need to carry out COVID-19 risk assessments in consultation with their workers or trade unions, to establish what guidelines to put in place. If possible, employers should publish the results of their risk assessments on their website and we expect all businesses with over 50 employees to do so.

3. Maintain 2 metres social distancing, wherever possible

Employers should re-design workspaces to maintain 2 metre distances between people by staggering start times, creating one way walk-throughs, opening more entrances and exits, or changing seating layouts in break rooms.

4. Where people cannot be 2 metres apart, manage transmission risk

Employers should look into putting barriers in shared spaces, creating workplace shift patterns or fixed teams minimising the number of people in contact with one another, or ensuring colleagues are facing away from each other.

5. Reinforcing cleaning processes

Workplaces should be cleaned more frequently, paying close attention to high-contact objects like door handles and keyboards. Employers should provide handwashing facilities or hand sanitisers at entry and exit points.

A downloadable notice is included in the documents, which employers should display in their workplaces to show their employees, customers and other visitors to their workplace, that they have followed this guidance.

Business Secretary Alok Sharma said: “This guidance provides a framework to get the UK back to work in a way that is safe for everyone.

“These are practical steps to enable employers to identify risks that COVID-19 creates and to take pragmatic measures to mitigate them.

“And as we are able to reopen new sectors of the economy, we will continue our collaborative approach working with a wide range of stakeholders, to provide guidance for additional workplaces.”

Sarah Albon, Chief Executive of the Health and Safety Executive, said: “The BEIS guidance issued today sets out practical steps employers can take to enable staff to continue and return to work.

“We have worked with BEIS to ensure businesses have access to the information they need to put in place measures to help them work safely. This will assist employers in carrying out risk assessments and putting practical measures in place.

“At the heart of the return to work is controlling the risk posed by the virus. Ensuring safe working practices are in place will help deliver a safe return to work and support businesses across the country.”

Craig Beaumont, Director of External Affairs and Advocacy at the Federation of Small Businesses commented: “FSB has engaged through this process with the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and we appreciate that our points have been taken on board for the UK small business community.

“Today’s guidance is practical, workable and proportionate for small businesses.

“It will be a long journey but this guidance will provide the basis for small employers to have the positive conversations needed with their staff. This is the first step to getting the economy back on its feet.”

Carolyn Fairbairn, Director-General of the CBI, commented: “Safety is at the heart of business thinking. Unless people feel safe, employees won’t return, customers will stay away and the restart will falter, harming livelihoods and public services.

“This guidance will help. It gives firms a clearer picture of how to reopen safely and gradually.

“The guidance builds on the good proactive plans many firms have developed during lockdown. Excellent employee engagement, fast workplace innovation and transparency have helped many companies support livelihoods. It’s right to build on this.

“The UK faces months of change and challenge. These guidelines will need to continue to evolve based on insight from the ground.

“And employers, employee representatives and relevant enforcement agencies must work together, supporting these plans to build public trust and get our economy back on its feet.”

Jonathan Geldart, Director General of the Institute of Directors. commented: “This guidance is an important first step. It won’t provide every answer, no guidance can, but directors can use it to inform their risk assessments for operating in this pandemic.

“Ultimately, the decision lies with a company’s directors, and they need to feel comfortable they can operate safely. Decisions on re-opening will not be taken lightly. Business leaders want to stand on their own two feet, but most can’t operate at anything like normal capacity at the moment, and making adjustments to protect staff and customers will be a big challenge for many workplaces.

“We hope and expect the guidance to evolve over time, but this is a place for employers to start on the long path to getting the economy going again.”

The guidance applies to businesses currently open. This also includes guidance for shops which we believe may be in a position to begin a phased reopening at the earliest from the 1 June.

Guidance for other sectors that are not currently open will be developed and published ahead of those establishments opening to give those businesses time to plan.

The UK government will also shortly set up taskforces to work with these sectors to develop safe ways for them to open at the earliest point at which it is safe to do so, as well as pilot re-openings to test businesses’ ability to adopt the guidelines.

As part of Monday’s announcement, the government has made available up to an extra £14 million for the HSE, equivalent to an increase of 10% of their budget, for extra call centre employees, inspectors and equipment if needed.

REMEMBER – this guidance is for ENGLAND ONLY

Government guidance on returning to work is a step in the right direction, but more must be done to ensure employers manage safe working properly, says the TUC’s Antonia Bance: 

On Sunday night, 10 May 2020, the prime minister encouraged workers to start returning to work.

Although he meant workers who can’t work from home in industries that haven’t been closed, his words took unions and employers by surprise.

And they created real confusion and anxiety overnight, as workers wondered if they had to report for work in the morning.

Unions want to support a safe return to work. That’s how we will get on with rebuilding Britain.

We don’t take a view on the speed of the return to work – we’re not scientists. What we are expert in is how to keep working people safe at work.

The UK needs a safe and managed return to normal working. That means consulting properly with unions and employers on guidance, getting it out to firms, giving them time to implement it, making sure the right PPE is available, ensuring that our transport systems and schools are safe, and then announcing dates when people could safely return to work.

This process must be gradual, and it must be safe – but that’s not what has happened.

Why workplace safety matters

This stuff really matters, because the impact of this government’s failures on workplace safety has already been horrific.

According to TUC analysis of new figures released by the ONS this week, a male security worker is four times more likely to die of Covid-19 than the male average. A female hairdresser is over three times as likely to die than the female average.

The government has to take a tough new approach to keeping people safe at work to protect as many lives as possible.

Late last month, the business department consulted unions and employers on detailed back-to-work guidelines.

The first draft was poor – it misrepresented the existing law, left out key protections for vulnerable groups, and there was a blank space where the section on PPE should have been.

We demanded immediate and substantial changes to the guidance – and were clear that we could not support them as they stood. The government went quiet.

Fast forward to yesterday. After 24 hours of chaos and concern over the PM’s premature announcement and news that low-paid workers were disproportionately dying from coronavirus, the business department finally published their detailed guidelines.

And though they aren’t everything unions wanted, they are a step in the right direction.

Union pressure worked.

So what changed?

We said every employer should publish their risk assessment – and the government will encourage employers to do this.

We demanded more money for the Health and Safety Executive – and £14m has been allocated.

We raised real concerns about the language and tone of the guidance – and are glad to see it is now tougher, reminding employers of their responsibilities and not just asking them to “consider” taking action.

Social distancing has been reinstated as the key risk control measure, with only very few exceptions. And vulnerable workers will get the extra protection they need.

But the new detailed guidance still falls short. Covid-19 will pose a risk for months to come, so it’s vital that employers manage safe working properly.

Unions will keep up the pressure on government to improve the rules as more and more people go back to work.

What still needs to change?

First, there must be a legal requirement for employers to publish their risk assessment.

Everyone needs to be able to see what a firm is doing to keep their workers – and their customers and the wider community – safe. This works well for gender pay gap reporting, and it’s a great resource for proactive enforcement.

We need the government to get to grips with the PPE crisis. The priority is workers in health and social care but other workers may need forms of PPE too, depending on the risk assessment in their workplaces.

Getting the right rules is only half the battle

Now it’s for employers to comply with the new, transparent, risk assessment regime. They need to consult their unions and workforces and get union agreement to the actions they are taking to keep workers safe.

The UK’s 100,000 health and safety reps – experts in workplace hazards – are ready to make sure every employer complies, including providing advice and guidance in non-unionised workplaces.

And when employers get it wrong, we need strong and swift enforcement

The Health and Safety Executive got £14m extra funding yesterday. Unions want to make sure it’s used to proactively get out to the riskiest workplaces and crack down on rogue employers.

Both inspections and prosecutions have fallen by more than 80 per cent since 2001. The HSE must have the capacity to inspect and challenge every employer that breaks the rules, and prosecute those who neglect worker safety.

And it must be matched by local authority enforcement teams getting out to make sure shops and warehouses are safe.

Questions remain

We still have big questions about how we manage public transport safely – for passengers and transport workers.

The government’s rushed plans to reopen schools are deeply worrying for staff and parents alike. And we know that without childcare, going back to workplaces will be impossible for many.

Working people are rightly worried about how to protect themselves and their loved ones. We need a gradual, safe return to workplaces. That’s how to build public confidence – and get the economy moving again.

There are 8 workplace guidance documents now available under Working safely during coronavirus (COVID-19) guidance.

REMEMBER – this guidance is for ENGLAND ONLY

Changes to Lothian Buses timetables from Sunday

Lothian Buses will introduce an update to its critical services network from Sunday (17 May) to help keep key workers across Edinburgh and the Lothians moving during this time.

Since the introduction of the Critical Services Network on Sunday 29 March, teams across Lothian have continued to analyse customer travel patterns and customer feedback to ensure the business is meeting the needs of as many key workers and essential travellers as possible.

Nigel Serafini, Interim Managing Director at Lothian Buses, said: “Over the past six weeks, our services have provided vital links for those who require to travel for work or to obtain essentials such as food and medicine.

“Our teams have continued to monitor customer travel patterns and have listened to both customer and colleague feedback. Today we are announcing additional revisions to our Critical Services Network which will better meet the needs of key workers and those for whom travel remains essential.

“Every team across our business has continued to go above and beyond to provide these vital services and my thanks go to each and every one of them both on the frontline and behind the scenes. I would also like to thank our customers who have shown an enormous amount of support and understanding throughout what continues to be an incredibly challenging operational time.”

Customers can view updated timetables here and from Wednesday customers can plan journeys on Lothian’s website or through the Lothian app which offers journey planning tools and real-time service updates, all integrated with Google Maps. It can be downloaded from tfeapp.com.

Lothian Buses network changes include: (download here)

Service 3

Revised timetable with additional journeys from Mayfield in the early morning, Monday to Friday.

Service 4

Route extended to operate between Asda The Jewel to Oxgangs every hour. Buses will turn at Oxgangs Bank (just before the library).

Service 16

Frequency increased to every 15 minutes between Silverknowes and Morningside Monday to Saturday daytime with improved morning running times. Torphin, Colinton and Oxgangs will continue to be served every 30 minutes.

Buses terminating at Morningside will operate a loop via Morningside Drive, Craighouse Road, Craighouse Gardens, and Balcarres Street.

Service 19

Revised timetable with all journeys operating to and from Leith Street

Service 21

Revised timetable with additional journeys. Route extended from Westside Plaza to Clovenstone Roundabout.

Service 30

Frequency improved from every 30mins to every 20mins on Monday to Saturday daytime.

Service 37/47

Revised timetable with most Monday to Friday service 37 buses now serving Deanburn (except a few early morning and late evening journeys which will continue to serve Ladywood).

Introduction of hourly service 47 from Penicuik Ladywood to Granton Harbour, Monday to Friday to provide additional links to Straiton, to the NHS sites at Lauriston Place, the Western General Hospital and a service for residents of Granton Harbour/Waterfront Avenue.

Service 41

On Mondays to Saturdays the last evening return journey to Cramond is withdrawn.  The Sunday service is also withdrawn.

Service 44

Minor timetable changes on Monday to Saturday. Sunday frequency improved from every hour to every 45 minutes

Minor timetable changes: 1, 7, 11, 14, 22, 25, 26, 27, 31, 33, 34, 38, 48, 63.

No changes to services 5, 8, 20, 24, 29, 35, 49, 100.

 

East Coast Buses network changes include: (download here)

Service 106

Monday to Saturday daytime frequency increased to every 30mins Edinburgh to Haddington, with the hourly service to/from Dunbar maintained.

Service 113

Revised timetable introduced to coordinate with Service 106.  Last journey from Edinburgh & Pencaitland withdrawn.

Service 124

Revised timetable introduced, including an additional morning peak journey from Longniddry to Edinburgh on Mondays to Saturdays.

Service 139

On Saturdays, the last evening return journey is withdrawn.

Service 140

No change.

 

Lothian Country network changes include: (download here)

Service X18
Minor timetable changes on all days of the week, including a new Journey introduced from Whitburn to Edinburgh on Mondays to Saturdays at 07:52

Service X27
Revised timetable on all days of the week

Service X28
Revised timetable on all days of the week, including a new earlier morning journey from Livingston Bus Terminal to Bathgate and a later Sunday evening journey from Edinburgh to Bathgate.  On all days of the week, the last evening journey from Edinburgh which currently terminates at Deans North will extend to Bathgate.

Back To Work: England pushes ahead with lockdown relaxations

Business Secretary Alok Sharma gave the UK Government’s 12 May daily press briefing on the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic:

Good afternoon. I am joined today by Professor Stephen Powis, National Medical Director of NHS England and Sarah Albon who is the Chief Executive of the Health and Safety Executive.

First, I want to update you on the latest data on the coronavirus response.

2,007,146 tests for coronavirus have now been carried out in the UK, including 85,293 tests carried out yesterday.

226,463 people have tested positive, that’s an increase of 3,403 cases since yesterday.

11,605 people are currently in hospital with coronavirus, up from 11,465 the previous day

And sadly, of those tested positive for coronavirus, across all settings, 32,692 have now died. That’s an increase of 627 fatalities since yesterday.

This is of course devastating news for families across the UK, and we all need to stay alert and control the virus.

I just want to remind people of the details of the next phase of our fight against coronavirus that we set out this week.

If we turn to the first slide, in order to monitor our progress, we are establishing a new COVID Alert Level System, with five levels, each relating to the level of threat posed by the virus.

The alert level will be based primarily on the R value and the number of coronavirus cases.

And in turn that alert level will determine the level of social distancing measures in place.

The lower the level the fewer the measures; the higher the level the stricter the measures.

The social distancing measures remain critical in our efforts to control the virus.

Throughout the period of lockdown, which started on March 23 we have been at Level 4.

Meaning, a COVID-19 epidemic is in general circulation, and transmission is high or rising exponentially.

But thanks to the hard work and sacrifices of the British people in this lockdown, you have helped to bring the R level down and we are now in a position to begin moving to Level 3, in careful steps.

As you see on the next slide, we have set out the first of three steps we will take to carefully modify the measures, gradually ease the lockdown, and begin to allow people to return to their way of life – but crucially, while avoiding what would be a disastrous second peak that overwhelms the NHS (NB – This applies to England only – Ed.).

After each step we will closely monitor the impact of that step on the R and the number of infections, and all the available data, and we will only take the next step when we are satisfied that it is safe to do so.

Step 1. From this week:

Those who cannot work from home should now speak to their employer about going back to work.

You can now spend time outdoors and exercise as often as you like.

You can meet one person outside of your household outside provided you stay 2 metres apart.

Step 2. From June 1, at the earliest, as long as the data allows, we aim to allow:

Primary schools to reopen for some pupils, in smaller class sizes.

Non-essential retail to start to reopen, when and where it is safe to do so,

Cultural and sporting events to take place behind closed doors, without crowds.

And then Step 3. No earlier than July 4, and again, only if the data says it is safe, we aim to allow:

More businesses and premises to open, including potentially those offering personal care such as leisure facilities, public places, and places of worship.

Many of these businesses will need to operate in new ways to ensure they are safe, and we will work with these sectors on how to do this.

As you will see from slide 3, having taken the first step in carefully adjusting some of the measures, and our advice to people on what to do, we have also updated our messaging.

We are now asking people to Stay Alert, Control the Virus and Save Lives.  Yes – staying alert, for the vast majority of people, still means staying at home as much as possible.

But there are a range of other actions we’re advising people to take.

People should stay alert, by:

Working from home if you can.

Limiting contact with other people.

Keeping distance if you go out – 2 metres apart where possible.

Washing your hands regularly.

Wearing a face covering when you are in enclosed space where it’s difficult to be socially distant – for example in some shops and on public transport.

And if you or anyone in your household has symptoms, you all need to self-isolate.

As slide 4 shows, if everyone stays alert and follows the rules, we can control coronavirus by keeping the R down and reducing the number of infections.

This is how we can continue to save lives, and livelihoods, as we begin as a nation to recover from coronavirus.

And to underpin this in the workplace, we have published new ‘COVID-19 secure’ guidance on working safely, available to UK employers (NB: currently only applicable in ENGLAND -Ed.), across 8 work settings, which are allowed to be open and where their employees cannot work from home.

This also includes guidance for shops which we believe may be in a position to begin a phased reopening at the earliest from the 1 June.

Firms, unions, industry bodies and the devolved administrations have all fed into this guidance to give businesses and their employees the confidence they need to work safely.

And I believe we have reached a consensus in doing that.

We have also worked with Public Health England and the Health and Safety Executive, to develop best practice on the safest ways of working across the economy.

The guidelines outline practical steps for employers to take, including carrying out a COVID-19 risk assessment, in consultation with employees or trades unions.

A downloadable notice is included in the documents, which employers should display in their workplace to show their employees, customers and other visitors, that they have followed this guidance.

We have also provided practical steps for employers to consider such as putting up barriers or screens in shared spaces, creating “fixed teams” or “partnering” to minimise the number of people in contact with one another, and frequent cleaning of work areas and equipment between uses to reduce transmission.

To support employers and employees through this, the government has made available up to an extra £14 million for the Health and Safety Executive, equivalent to an increase of 10% of their budget.

This is for extra call centre employees, inspectors and equipment, if needed.

We know how important the Job Retention Scheme has been in helping businesses through this difficult time.

And today the Chancellor has announced a four-month extension of the scheme to help provide certainty to businesses.

To date, 7.5 million jobs have been furloughed, protecting livelihoods across the nation.

Until the end of July, there will be no changes to the scheme.

Then from August to October the scheme will continue, for all sectors and regions of the UK, but with greater flexibility to support the transition back to work.

Employers currently using the scheme will be able to bring employees back part time.

And, as the economy reopens, we will ask firms to start sharing, with government, the cost of paying people’s salaries.

To be clear, the same level of support of 80% of people’s current salary, up to £2,500 will continue to be met, but through a shared effort between employers and government.

We will be setting out more details on the changes before the end of the month.

Throughout this pandemic, I have been struck by the way people have looked out for one another.

These measures are produced in that spirit.

So to employers I say: use this support and guidance to know you are doing the right thing and work with your unions and workers to keep each other safe.

And to workers I say: we are looking out for you; we want you to feel confident that you are financially supported and returning to a safe workplace.

Because in this time like no other, we all need to work together safely, as we rebuild our economy.

Thank you.

First Minister: stick with the guidelines to protect our NHS

Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St. Andrew’s House, Edinburgh on Tuesday 12 May:

Good afternoon. Thanks for joining us for today’s briefing. I want to start, as usual, with an update on some of the key statistics in relation to COVID-19 in Scotland.

As at 9 o’clock this morning, I can tell you that there have been 13,763 positive cases confirmed – an increase of 136 from yesterday.

A total of 81 people last night were in intensive care with either confirmed or suspected COVID-19 and that is an increase of 1 since yesterday.

In terms of the numbers in hospital, I want to give a little bit more context to this figure today. As of last night, a total of 1618 patients were in hospital with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 – that is an increase of 165 from yesterday.

However, and this point I want to stress, that increase is entirely in suspected cases. The number of confirmed cases is 1,131 and that is a decrease of 14.

So, we are exploring this rise in suspected cases further. But as you know, all people over 70 admitted to hospital are now being tested even if they don’t have COVID symptoms. It may therefore be that until a test result is known, some health boards are automatically counting these patients as suspected even if they don’t have symptoms of the virus.

So I wanted to say that today to just alert you to the fact that this is something we will be investigating further – but at this stage I’d caution against having any undue concern about the hospital figure that I have reported to you today.

I am also able to confirm that since 5 March, a total of 3,167 patients who had tested positive and been hospitalised for the virus have been able to leave hospital. I’m sure of all us wish them well.

Unfortunately I also have to report that in the past 24 hours, 50 deaths have been registered of patients who had been confirmed through a test as having the virus – that takes the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measurement, to 1,912.

Tomorrow we will have the latest National Records of Scotland publication which will report deaths, not just those confirmed through a test but also those that are presumed to be related to the virus.

As always, I want to stress that behind each of these statistics is a unique and irreplaceable human being whose loss right now is a source of grief to many. I want to send my deepest condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one to this virus and to say I’m sure that everybody across the country is thinking of you.

I also want to thank again our health and care workers. All of us are enormously grateful to you for the work that you are doing.

Today – 12 May – is the International Day of the Nurse. Myself and the Chief Medical Officer are joined today by the Chief Nursing Officer, Fiona McQueen.

And I want to say an extra special thank you to all of Scotland’s nurses – the past few weeks have demonstrated yet again just how much all of us owe to your compassion, your dedication and your expertise. From the bottom of my heart, thank you to all of you.

I have three issues I want to briefly update on today.

The first relates to the social care sector, which of course is being placed under immense pressure by this virus. The Scottish Government is working hard to support the sector in every way we can – we have, for example, expanded testing in care homes, we are also and have been for some time, ensuring that any care home with an urgent need for personal protective equipment that can’t be sourced through normal routes, can receive it from our national stockpile of PPE.

Today, I can confirm that we are making an additional £50 million available, to help meet extra costs in the care sector that have been incurred as a result of COVID-19.

The funding will be allocated across every local authority area in the country – and it will cover both care home services, and care at home services. It will help to ensure that care services around the country can cope, with the immense pressures they are facing at this time.

The second issue I want to update on is to tell you we are setting aside £31 million to extend eligibility to the Small Business Grants Scheme.

The extension applies to premises which qualified for Charitable or Sports Rates Relief – but which would otherwise, if they hadn’t qualified for those reliefs, have been eligible for the small business bonus.

Charities occupying these properties can now receive small business grants. Those grants, as you may recall, are worth £10,000 for the first property, and £7,500 for any subsequent property owned by the same organisation.

We know that many charities which run small premises – such as day centres, offices or workshops – have been really hard hit by a loss of revenue during the pandemic.

Many of these charities – which include providers of health and care services – are still providing vital support to those who need it. Extending the small business grants scheme is one way in which we can help them at a time when the help that they provide is more important than ever.

The final point I want to make today is that, as I have emphasised over the past couple of days, the lockdown restrictions remain in place for Scotland.

And so it’s maybe worth stressing what this currently means in relation to employers and employees.

I know that the UK Government published guidance for businesses yesterday. I want to stress that this guidance is not yet operational in Scotland at this stage, since we are not currently encouraging more people to go back to work.

I would ask instead that all employers follow the Scottish Government guidance. I am very grateful for the fact that the vast majority of employers have been so responsible throughout this crisis – so I am sure that most will do this, and will not urge workers to come back to work prematurely.

And for employees, I would remind you that if you think your working conditions are unsafe, you have rights under employment legislation. If you have a trade union in your workplace, and you have concerns about your working conditions, you should also be able to talk to them.

The Scottish Government is working with employers and trade unions to develop guidance on safe workplaces which has the confidence of businesses and workers.  

We have therefore established working groups across 14 sectors to consider how quickly, and in what manner, we can start to return to work.

Early priorities, as I have stated before, are the retail, manufacturing and construction sectors.  However the working groups also cover sectors such as tourism, energy, finance and food and drink.

We believe that this partnership approach is the right and responsible way to proceed. It will allow businesses to reopen when they can safely do so, and we all want that to be as soon as possible, and it will hopefully provide employers, workers and the wider public with the vital reassurance that reopening will not be putting your health at unnecessary risk.

Finally, I want to restate what the lockdown restrictions mean for all of us. Our fundamental advice in Scotland remains unchanged. Please stay at home – except for essential work that can’t be done at home, for buying food or accessing medicines, or exercising.

You can now go for walks, runs or bike rides more than once a day if you want to. But when you are out, please stay more than two meters from other people and don’t meet up with people from other households.

Wear a face covering if you are in a shop or on public transport. And isolate completely if you or someone in your household has symptoms.

As I say every day, I know these restrictions are very hard and they get tougher to comply with every single day that passes. But we are doing it for a reason because by complying with these restrictions now, we will all come out of lockdown sooner and we will do so in a way that minimises the number of lives that are lost to this horrible virus.

So please stick with these restrictions for now. Because that is the way that we will continue to slow the spread of the virus, it’s how we will continue to protect the NHS and as I said a moment ago, it is how we will save lives. So my thanks again to all of you for your cooperation so far.

Chancellor extends furlough scheme until October

The government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme will remain open until the end of October, the Chancellor announced today.

  • Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme will continue until end of October
  • furloughed workers across UK will continue to receive 80% of their current salary, up to £2,500
  • new flexibility will be introduced from August to get employees back to work and boost economy

In a boost to millions of jobs and businesses, Rishi Sunak said the furlough scheme would be extended by a further four months with workers continuing to receive 80% of their current salary.

As we reopen the economy (at least in England – Ed.), we need to support people to get back to work. From the start of August, furloughed workers will be able to return to work part-time with employers being asked to pay a percentage towards the salaries of their furloughed staff.

The employer payments will substitute the contribution the government is currently making, ensuring that staff continue to receive 80% of their salary, up to £2,500 a month.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: “Our Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme has protected millions of jobs and businesses across the UK during the outbreak – and I’ve been clear that I want to avoid a cliff edge and get people back to work in a measured way.

“This extension and the changes we are making to the scheme will give flexibility to businesses while protecting the livelihoods of the British people and our future economic prospects.”

New statistics published today revealed the job retention scheme has protected 7.5 million workers and almost 1 million businesses.

The scheme will continue in its current form until the end of July and the changes to allow more flexibility will come in from the start of August. More specific details and information around its implementation will be made available by the end of this month.

The government will explore ways through which furloughed workers who wish to do additional training or learn new skills are supported during this period. It will also continue to work closely with the Devolved Administrations to ensure the scheme supports people across the Union.

The Chancellor’s decision to extend the scheme, which will continue to apply across all regions and sectors in the UK economy, comes after the government outlined its plan for the next phase of its response to the coronavirus outbreak.

The scheme is just one part of the government’s world-leading economic response to coronavirus, including an unprecedented package for the self-employed, loans and guarantees that have so far provided billions of pounds in support, tax deferrals and grants for small businesses.

Today the UK government is also publishing new statistics that show businesses have benefitted from over £14 billion in loans and guarantees to support their cashflow during the crisis.

This includes 268,000 Bounce Back Loans worth £8.3 billion, 36,000 loans worth over £6 billion through the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, and £359 million through the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme.

Mike Cherry, National Chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, said: “The Job Retention Scheme is a lifeline which has been hugely beneficial in helping small employers keep their staff in work, and it’s extension is welcome.

“Small employers have told us that part-time furloughing will help them recover from this crisis and it is welcome that new flexibility is announced today.

BCC Director General Adam Marshall said: “The extension of the Job Retention Scheme will come as a huge help and a huge relief for businesses across the UK.

“The Chancellor is once again listening to what we’ve been saying, and the changes planned will help businesses bring their people back to work through the introduction of a part-time furlough scheme. We will engage with the Treasury and HMRC on the detail to ensure that this gives companies the flexibility they need to reopen safely.

“Over the coming months, the government should continue to listen to business and evolve the scheme in line with what’s happening on the ground. Further support may yet be needed for companies who are unable to operate for an extended period, or those who face reduced capacity or demand due to ongoing restrictions.”

Dame Carolyn Fairbairn, CBI Director-General, said: “The Chancellor is confronting a challenging balancing act deftly. As economic activity slowly speeds up, it’s essential that support schemes adapt in parallel.

“Extending the furlough to avoid a June cliff-edge continues the significant efforts made already and will protect millions of jobs.

“Introducing much needed flexibility is extremely welcome. It will prepare the ground for firms that are reawakening, while helping those who remain in hibernation. That’s essential as the UK economy revives step-by-step, while supporting livelihoods.

“Firms will, of course, want more detail on how they will contribute to the scheme in the future and will work with government to get this right.

“Above all, the path of the virus is unpredictable, and much change still lies ahead. The government must continue to keep a watchful eye on those industries and employees that remain at risk. All schemes will need to be kept under review to help minimise impacts on people’s livelihoods and keep businesses thriving.

“The greater the number of good businesses saved now, the easier it will be for the economy to recover.”

Commenting on the extension of the government’s job extension scheme today, TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “We are pleased ministers have listened to unions and extended the job retention scheme to the autumn. This will be a big relief for millions.  

“Changing the rules to allow part-time working is key to enabling a gradual and safe return to work. And maintaining the rate at 80% is a win for the pay packets of working families.

“As the economic consequences of Covid-19 become clear, unions will keep pushing for a job guarantee scheme to make sure everyone has a decent job.”

Anneliese Dodds MP, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, said: “The furlough scheme is a lifeline for millions. The Government was right not to pull it away.

“It is welcome that the Chancellor has heeded the call by Labour, trade unions, and businesses for more flexibility in the scheme, to support employees to go back to work part-time.

“The government must clarify today when employers will be required to start making contributions, and how much they’ll be asked to pay. If every business is suddenly required to make a substantial contribution from the 1st August onwards, there is a very real risk that we will see mass redundancies.”

Extension to Furlough Scheme could cost the Government £70 billion

The Chancellor has extended the current Furlough scheme until the end of October but he now has a huge challenge to get this right, say leading tax and advisory firm Blick Rothenberg.

Heather Self a partner at the firm said: “He needs to achieve a “Goldilocks” effect – not too hot, and not too cold.  If he provides too much it will be very expensive and may discourage firms from reopening. If he provides too little thousands of people could lose their jobs.

She added: “It is going to be a turbulent time for the labour market in the Autumn. Some sectors, such as the hospitality and tourism sector, are likely to see significant redundancies, while others such as construction and financial services will be relieved to see a gradual winding-down of support.

From the announcement today, we now know that:

–          Support will be continued to the end of July in full, with employers required to contribute after that date.

–          Part time working will be permitted, but only for some employees

–          The same level of overall support – 80% of wages up to a maximum of £2500 a month – will be maintained

Heather said: ” As the furlough scheme is reduced the Government needs to incentivise business and come up with creative ideas about how business can keep going and retain staff.

“The Chancellor could not go on paying out billions of pounds indefinitely, and everyone understands that, but there needs to be much more joined up thinking between Government and business.”

So far, some 7.5m employees have been furloughed, at a cost approaching £10bn.

The expected costs to the end of July are likely to be around £50bn, with the extension at a reduced level to the end of October perhaps costing a further £20bn.  These are very significant sums, amounting to around 10% of total Government receipts.

As Britain seeks to get back to work, the pressures on different sectors will be very uneven.

While some sectors, such as construction and financial services, are getting back to work, others such as leisure and hospitality will be much slower to recover.

And the position in the tourism and heritage sectors is likely to become critical if they lose the whole of the Summer season.

Heather Self said: “Enabling part time work is welcome, as it will permit a gradual return to work.  But the Chancellor said this would only be available to businesses “currently using” the scheme – it is not clear what the cut-off date will be for businesses still considering whether they need to furlough employees.

“The Chancellor needs to pay attention to the needs of different sectors, difficult though this may be.  Leisure and hospitality businesses are unlikely to be able to cope with reopening fully by the end of July, and may need to contemplate redundancies.

“Additional support beyond the furlough scheme will be needed for a long time – whether loans such as the CBILS scheme, or grants, or incentives such as an increase in the Employment Allowance to encourage employers to maintain their staff levels, or even take on new employees.”

Peoples Assembly Scotland: Zoom meeting tonight

Over the recent period the Peoples Assembly Scotland, along with trades unions and other progressive groups, have rightly focused on the absence of support  for NHS workers which, coupled with governments across this island’s unpreparedness, has worsened the extent of the Covid 19 crisis.
However they are not the only group of workers for whom the crisis is changing both the nature, and perhaps the future, of their industries.
At its most recent meeting it was agreed to sponsor a number of “public” meetings to hear from those in other sectors whose members are facing similar challenges but whose stories are rarely the focus of the main stream media.
The first of these addressing the plight facing those who work offshore will be TONIGHT (Tuesday 12th May) at 7pm, the invitation below will facilitate entry to the meeting.
We will be welcoming RMT officer Jake Molloy along with UNITE Regional Officer, John Boland, as Chair and Vice Chair of the Offshore Coordinating Group who will be talking about the crisis facing workers with thousand’s of job losses looming in the North Sea. 
Its a crisis not just for those directly employed in oil and gas but across the offshore sector, their supply chains including ferries. As it appears that the industry is heading into recession join the Peoples Assemblies meeting to hear those who represent those workers affected and how the unions must address not just their immediate concerns but the long term effects on our economy .
Attached is the most recent report of the Offshore Coordinating Group “Crisis behind the Crisis”.
Phil McGarry  (Chairperson) Keith Stoddart (Secretary), 
Peoples Assembly Scotland

Join Zoom Meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85108863460?pwd=SXlaVGx0cjYyVC83L2hrUzNFckZFQT09

Meeting ID: 851 0886 3460
Password: 562022

Letters: Public services more vital than ever

Dear Editor

The National Health Service has always been valued as a people’s organisation. This value has always been appreciated – but never more so than today.

This lesson on the importance of people’s services shows the way our society must be run. If the NHS is vital, so are gas, electricity and water. As are the railways, buses and trams. Make them public services, too – serving the people.

The value of the NHS to the people is immense: a publicly funded service, available ever day.

Also ever day, 30 million people travel to and from their places of work using rail, bus and tram.

Work, in order to live, is a necessity. These transport industries must also become part of a fully funded, publically owned service with the NHS. It can be arranged and organised as a public service.

The NHS has been our lifeline. People have always guarded the principle of a service of the people.

How right that is!

Tony Delahoy 

Cyrenians FareShare depot in Leith redistributes record food load

In the past month, the Cyrenians FareShare depot in Leith has redistributed a record-breaking 164 tonnes of food in response to a huge increase in demand during the covid19 pandemic – over a three-fold increase compared to April last year.

This week local MSP Ben Macpherson visited on his daily walk to thank staff and volunteers for safely supporting his constituents, and so many others across the Lothians, at this challenging time.

Cyrenians tackles the causes and consequences of homelessness. Building community through food and tackling food poverty is a large part of their work – through their FareShare depot in Leith, the charity redistributes surplus food from the supply chain to charities and community groups across Central and South East Scotland.

Lynne Collie, Service Manager, praised the response from the wider community: “Alongside our emergency fundraising appeal, we put a call-out at the start of this pandemic for food producers and suppliers to get in touch if they could help out so that we could meet demand.

The response has been phenomenal, and I would like to thank each and every person who has donated food, money, and time to our depot.

“I’d also like to pay tribute to my team of staff and volunteers, who have done an amazing job in scaling up the operation to meet the increased demand.”

In addition to this, Cyrenians Community Cook School, situated on Jane Street opposite their Fareshare depot, has been transformed into a production kitchen supporting their efforts to tackle food inequality.

Since the pandemic hit, the cook school have been cooking on average 700 healthy, freezer-ready meals a day, with support from local chefs, to distribute to those at-risk and frontline workers across the city.

Ewan Aitken, CEO of Cyrenians, said, “This pandemic is highlighting the stark inequalities that exist in society – those trapped in poverty are at greater risk of both the virus itself and the economic fallout, and we’re seeing more and more people making impossible choices, like whether to put food on the table or whether to pay for bills or rent.

“It’s also highlighted just how interdependent we all are, and I hope that, as we rebuild following this crisis, that legacy will endure.

“We can prevent homelessness, and it is incumbent on all of us – from the grassroots to national governments – to do so. I would like to thank the Scottish Government amongst others for their support to get food to those who need it.”

Ben Macpherson MSP said, “It was uplifting to see first-hand what staff and volunteers at the Cyrenians FareShare depot in Leith are doing to safely help many of my constituents and people in need across the Lothians, supported by funding from the Scottish Government and generous donations from many different companies and individuals.

“I’m inspired by the work that the Cyrenians does both in and from my constituency, and am grateful to everyone involved with FareShare for supporting vulnerable people and communities at this difficult time”

To find out more about Cyrenians’ emergency appeal, please visit: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/Covid19CrisisAppeal

Girlguiding Scotland launches Guiding at Hame challenge

To support young people and their parents while at home, Girlguiding Scotland, the leading charity for girls and young women, has launched the ‘Guiding at Hame’ challenge – a weekly online challenge with activities for children and adults alike to get stuck into.

With face to face meetings no longer taking place, Girlguiding Scotland is delivering its unique programme in new and innovative ways. They issued a challenge on 1 May, with activities suitable for anyone from age 5 and up. New activities are released every Friday, and the whole challenge reflects the six themes of Girlguiding’s programme: Know Myself, Express Myself, Be Well, Have Adventures, Take Action and Skills For My Future. In true guiding style, anyone who takes part in the challenge can earn the ‘Guiding at Hame’ badge.

The challenge is open to everyone – you don’t need to be a member – just download the activities from Girlguiding Scotland’s website to take part. This is a great way to give guiding a go and get a taster of what’s on offer.

Scottish Chief Commissioner, Moira McKenna, said: “Girlguiding Scotland is a resilient community and we want to support as many children and young people across Scotland right now with our new Guiding at Hame challenge.

“Our programme is all about empowering girls and young women to try new things, care for those in their communities and have fun outside of school. None of this could happen without our amazing volunteers and we want to say a big thanks to them for keeping guiding going during this challenging time.

“It’s everyday folk who are working hard to make sure that families are supported and we hope that those taking part in the activities will be inspired to join our guiding community in the future.”

The challenge can be found on Girlguiding Scotland’s website in the new ‘Guiding at Hame’ hub with advice on how to move to virtual guiding meetings and blogs on wellbeing and resilience resources for children and young people.

Girlguiding Scotland is encouraging anyone who takes part in the challenge to tag them on social media @GirlguidingScot.

The activities can also be done with Girlguiding units. Already, many Girlguiding Scotland volunteers have been delivering virtual guiding with girls, running their weekly meetings using technology like Zoom and Whatsapp.

Girlguiding is open to all girls aged 5 to 18, giving them the opportunity to explore new interests and build their confidence.

For more information visit www.girlguidingscotland.org.uk.

Holyrood committee to investigate Scottish Government’s coronavirus testing strategy

The Scottish Government’s testing strategy during the coronavirus pandemic is to be investigated by the Health and Sport Committee.

The Parliament Committee is seeking views to find out what role testing should play in helping to tackle the pandemic, and what infrastructure is required to deliver the Government’s test, trace and isolate strategy it aims to introduce by the end of May.

Over the coming weeks, the Committee is undertaking a series of short inquiries into the Scottish Government’s response to the pandemic. On Thursday they will look at the issue of PPE and they are also looking into the Government’s preparedness to deal with any potential ‘second wave’ of the virus, or future pandemic.

This week, the Committee also launched an inquiry into the particular issues faced by care homes during this crisis.

Lewis Macdonald MSP, Health and Sport Committee Convener, said: “The Government’s testing strategy is absolutely pivotal in tackling this crisis and helping to ease in any meaningful way the restrictions on our lives we are all facing.

“The Scottish Government have outlined their wish to adopt a test, trace and isolate strategy from the end of May but we want to make sure the infrastructure is in place to help achieve this.

“We want to look into testing capacity across Scotland and the introduction of antibody tests.

“We’ve seen the success of other countries testing strategies, such as South Korea, Germany and New Zealand, and we want to investigate the science behind our testing approach and whether more could and should have been done to lessen the terrible impact of this virus on our society.”

The coronavirus testing questionnaire is available here. It closes on 18th May.    

The care homes survey is available here. It closes on 20th May.

For more information on the work of the Health and Sport Committee, visit the Scottish Parliament website.