Union criticises Northampton sandwich factory for calling workers back in less than a week after ordering employees into isolation

Greencore says production has restarted 'on limited basis' after closing four days ago for a 'deep clean'
A union has criticised Greencore for resuming "limited" production after closing over a Covid-19 outbreak only four days ago.A union has criticised Greencore for resuming "limited" production after closing over a Covid-19 outbreak only four days ago.
A union has criticised Greencore for resuming "limited" production after closing over a Covid-19 outbreak only four days ago.

A union has accused a Northampton sandwich factory of "putting the public's health at risk" for calling workers back in after ordering all employees to enter a two-week self-isolation period four days ago.

Production has restarted 'on a limited basis' at the Greencore Factory in Moulton Park after it voluntarily closed last Friday (August 21) over a Covid-19 outbreak and told all employees to isolate for 14 days.

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In a statement released last night, the company announced a "small number of colleagues who have completed their self-isolation periods are now beginning to return to the site" following a deep clean of the factory.

Now, representatives from the Bakers', Food and Allied Workers' Union (BFAWU) have criticised the decision and say that workers are confused over what advice they should follow.

General secretary of the union Sarah Wooley told a press conference today: "It's disappointing that they have done this. It's putting employee health at risk and the public's health at risk.

"The Government told [workers] that you would be fined if you breached the self-isolation period. The employees are stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea. Do they risk their job by saying no and staying at home, or do they go in and risk being fined?

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"We've got members who are being told to come in and have said no because they don't feel they should yet."

Nearly 290 cases of coronavirus were identified at the factory this month, leading to Public Health Northamptonshire declaring an outbreak on August 13. The spike in cases has played a large part in why Northampton has been escalated to the Government's "area of intervention" list.

The decision to close the factory was reportedly taken by Health secretary Matt Hancock, despite evidence by Public Health Northamptonshire that this was not needed. The BFAWU claim the closure should have happened "immediately".

Greencore has not published how many workers have been called back as of today. The factory claims everyone who has been called back has done so after completing their own self-isolation period from when they tested positive in the weeks before the factory was shut on Friday.

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However, so far Northamptonshire County Council has pointed to how workers "car share, house share and socialise outside of work" as the course of the outbreak, rather than the practices of the factory.

It has led to the union now criticising Greencore for asking workers to return while other employees they live with are still isolating.

Greencore has not shared how many workers have returned to work at the factory.

Since the outbreak was announced on August 13, Public Health Northamptonshire has not released how many employees have tested positive in the second round of coronavirus testing despite multiple requests by the the Chronicle & Echo.

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The union also criticised Greencore for placing staff on statutory sick pay worth 80 per cent of their basic pay - amounting to £95-per-week for some workers - which they called "not enough to live on" when in some cases all members of a household work for Greencore.

In a statement issued last night, Tuesday, a spokesperson for Greencore said: "Further to our update on 21 August, while production at our Northampton facility has ceased the site has undergone a thorough deep-cleaning process.

"A small number of colleagues who have completed their self-isolation periods are now beginning to return to the site, and production is therefore gradually restarting on a limited basis.

"This process is of course being carried out in close consultation with the Department of Health & Social Care, Public Health England and other government bodies."

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The statement also outlined the situation regarding sick pay and basic pay for those employees affected. The company had come under considerable pressure from unions to provide clarity for workers.

"Separately, we can confirm that all colleagues who have been required to self-isolate during the months of August and September at the site and are contractually on Statutory Sick Pay will receive 80% of their basic pay.

"We have implemented this in recognition of the financial impact that those on SSP are facing, and we will also be making use of the government’s furlough scheme for those colleagues who are eligible to participate," the spokesperson said.

"In addition, all weekly paid colleagues at the site will receive an additional payment of £400. This is a bonus that would normally be paid based on attendance at the end of the year, but we have decided to waive the usual criteria and give it to all weekly paid colleagues now regardless of their attendance record. This follows on from a recent bonus which averaged £260 per colleague and was paid to all weekly paid front-line staff in order to recognise their huge contribution while lockdown was in place," the spokesperson added.