As the lockdown starts to lift People Before Profit Councillor Adrienne Wallace has said worker’s rights and safety must be our priority. Cllr Wallace warned that any bosses who try to urge workers to go back to unsafe conditions should be put on notice.
She said “bosses are eager to try lure, or in some cases, intimidate workers to get them back to work before it is safe to do so. I am hearing reports that some companies are blurring the lines between essential and non-essential work to try get back to full production capacity. We have to be very clear here- this is a huge risk to public health, one euro in profits is not worth one person’s life. I am urging workers to get organised in order to fight for our collective health and wellbeing. If we can’t work safely apart then we should follow the lead of workers in Amazon and Moy Park and walk out safely together.”
Cllr Wallace added “Workers should know their rights, there is legislation to protect them. The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 states that ‘An employer shall not penalise or threaten penalisation against an employee in circumstances of danger’.
She continued *“*Workers need rent and mortgage amnesties and enough payments to support themselves in order to keep the economy and the public safe. Bosses want workers back in because it keeps the profits funneling to the top, we cannot allow their greed run any risk to public safety. We have been told that “we are all in this together”, as such PBP is proposing a Covid-19 Solidarity Wealth Tax and urging the government to take the €13billion Apple owe us in back-taxes to ensure workers don’t take the brunt of any looming recession.”