Unions:‘two metre workplace distancing must stay’

Following the government’s change of policy on social distancing, several trade unions made clear that two metres must remain the rule in workplaces.

Last month, prime minister Boris Johnson announced that where it is not possible to keep people two metres apart, the government will advise them to keep a distance of “one metre plus”. This means they should remain one metre apart, while taking mitigations to reduce the risk of transmission. These measures include avoiding face-to-face seating by changing office layouts, reducing the number of people in enclosed spaces, improving ventilation, using protective screens and face coverings, closing non-essential social spaces, providing hand sanitiser, and changing shift patterns so that staff work in set teams.

Highlighting staff concerns about returning to work in job centres, the public and commercial services PCS union said, “Our position is clear that two metres must remain the rule in all our workplaces.”

The Unite general union said downgrading the two metre social distancing rule risked causing more outbreaks of coronavirus within the meat processing sector, where there have already been a spate of outbreaks.

https://www.pcs.org.uk/news/pcs-survey-highlights-staff-fears-of-jobcentres-reopening

https://unitetheunion.org/news-events/news/2020/june/downgrading-of-two-metre-social-distancing-rule-risks-more-outbreaks-for-meat-industry/