As the UK and Scottish Government’s lift COVID restrictions and safety measures at pace, your branch is committed to keeping workers safe. Cases are still high and Omicron is running rampant throughout Edinburgh, with staff absence rates impacting services—such as closing school classes —so our message is clear—the risk is still there, so we need measures to protect staff.
The removal of legal obligations should not mean a removal of all measures, but the ability for the Council to create their own measures to best suit the needs of the workforce. Success must be measured by reduction in case numbers and absence rates, not in how stringently the Council stick to the Scottish Government’s line.
Read the current Scottish Government workplace guidance.
What we want to see
We will continue to call on the Council to
- continue including COVID transmission in risk assessments
- provide lateral flow tests to school staff
- track cases on a local level and let staff know when there has been a case in the workplace.
We are pleased that some areas are taking a sensible approach—Criminal Justice is one example—but the risk to health continue to be too high to rely upon local arrangements. The Council must provide strong guidance that protects all workers.
What you can do
If you are concerned about changing COVID measures, contact a rep in your area.
It is important to remember that health and safety legislation still applies, and COVID is a risk like any other, so must be identified and covered by measures to mitigate the risk.