Fight for trade union control of workplace safety
Tories threaten to remove access to free Covid testing (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)
At every stage of the pandemic, Johnson’s Tory government has made decisions motivated in large part by the objective to protect bosses’ profits.
Johnson’s announcement – of an end of legal requirements for people with Covid to self-isolate, an end to enhanced Statutory Sick Pay, the self-isolation payment and free Covid testing – seeks to further ‘open up the economy’, but also politically boost a prime minister racked by partying scandals and a police investigation.
Throughout the pandemic, the Socialist Party has explained that there can be no trust in the bosses and their politicians to act in the interests of our safety. We have argued for workers’ and trade union-led control of workplace safety (see ‘Covid pandemic: Fight for full sick pay and trade union control of workplace safety’ at socialistparty.org.uk).
We say:
- Trade union control of all workplace safety measures
- Full pay for workers when sick, and an end to punitive sickness absence policies
- Proper ventilation of workplaces and public spaces, subject to trade union-agreed ventilation standards
- No forced return to the workplace. Return only when safe, with agreement from trade unions.
- Maintain access to free Covid testing for all
