Dear Member,
We met with DCC yesterday and our position has not changed.
Employers have a statutory duty to risk assess for COVID-19, as it is a ‘substance hazardous to health’, and to put in place a safe system of work. Especially, with a more transmittable variant.
We do not regard the work you are being asked to do as winter essential work for the council during this time of crisis.
Unless your work is essential, you should not be at work until it is essential. By having people who are at work who should not be, your employer is going against government advice and putting both you and the public at risk.
YOU SHOULD NOT:
Be in vans together
Be in buckies in close proximity to one another and must observe a 2 metre distance from one another.
Members of the public should not be coming into close contact with you at graves or anywhere else.
THERE MUST:
Be an up to date risk assessment for covid-19. If it is not in place, you can refuse to put yourself in danger and should remain home until that can be carried out under the Health and Safety Act 1974 –This means that ALL workplaces must have an up to date RA for this NEW variant. This is not in place.
Further to this if you have ANY underlaying health condition then you should ask for your workplace/task to be individually risk assessed.
Managers must robustly enforce any risk assessment. If there is any variation, then it must be in agreement with health and safety reps.
If you feel you are being put at risk, take photographs and send them to us.
GMB have told management that we believe the workplace is not safe and if you do not feel safe at work or going to work until the required RA’s are completed then you have the full support of GMB to do so. The facts are that this is a new variant and if anything, there should be LESS people working not more.
Rest assured that we have advised DCC that we will ballot members if member are continued to be put at risk.
Posted: 20th January 2021