Usdaw condemns Tory chaos and incompetence, while calling for the lessons to be learnt

Joanne Thomas – Usdaw general secretary says: “When I think about the heroic efforts of key workers, including our members, during Covid and then read this report, it reminds me of the phrase ‘lions led by donkeys’. This lack of preparedness, largely down to austerity, and poor decision making led to an estimated 23,000 unnecessary deaths and must never happen again. So, we welcome that Prime Minister Keir Starmer has promised to carefully consider the report, confirmed that the Government has already delivered improvements in the way they would respond to a future crisis and acknowledged the pain and suffering the pandemic caused.

“While Boris Johnson’s Number 10 operation were organising alcohol-fuelled parties in Downing Street, our members were working tirelessly on the frontline of keeping the nation fed and healthy in grocery and pharmaceutical stores, home delivery and distribution. At every step of the way, Usdaw was there to support members and our reps played an absolutely vital role in the most difficult and challenging of circumstances. Conducting risk assessments and delivering appropriate safety measures, ensuring ‘clinically extremely vulnerable’ workers did not lose pay while they were unable to attend the workplace, and dealing with appalling increases in customer abuse, Usdaw reps were nothing short of extraordinary while all the time dealing with their own anxieties and challenges.

“Regrettably, the last Conservative Government also failed on their promise to ‘build back better’, but we are pleased to see that this Labour Government is delivering much-needed change and learning the lesson from the pandemic. A new deal for workers is being delivered through the Employment Rights Bill, and action to tackle assaults against retail staff is possible through the Crime and Policing Bill. These new legislative measures will improve the lives of our members and all workers every day but will also provide much-needed protections if we ever have to face the horrors of another pandemic.”