North Derbyshire workers in calls for more protective equipment as they fight coronavirus

Workers are also calling for greater clarity from the Government on who should still be going to work after the announcement of the lockdown by Prime Minister Boris Johnson last Monday.

The demands were made during an online conference call bringing together trade union representatives from workplaces across north Derbyshire to discuss the impact of the pandemic.

James Eaden, president of the Chesterfield and District Trades Union Council, which hosted the conference, said: “The feedback we got from the meeting and continue to get online shows that the assurances from the Government about working people being looked after and supported are falling short on the ground.

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“It’s quite right that we follow the scientific advice to keep our ‘social distance’ and stay at home as much as possible. But the many millions of workers who are still going to work need protecting.

“In particular, frontline workers need testing and adequate personal protection equipment.”

Mr Eaden added: “We have had reports that at Sports Direct in Shirebrook, basic social distancing is not being maintained, body searches are still being carried out, and the staff canteens are overflowing.”

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During the conference, NHS workers in the Unite union reported that there were ‘real worries’ about the lack of adequate Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) and a ‘shocking lack of testing for NHS staff’.

It was also claimed that porters, cleaners and domestics in outsourced departments don’t receive the daily staff briefings because ‘they are no longer regarded as NHS staff’.

Another Unite representative, who works in manufacturing, claimed he was told by his bosses that it was ‘business as usual’ and that although they had been told to maintain ‘social distancing’ at work, the lay out of the workplace made this impossible.

The Government says it has cut red tape to get PPE to NHS staff as quickly as possible and will increase the amount of Covid-19 testing taking place.

Sports Direct boss Mike Ashley has apologised for the company’s initial response to the pandemic.