Usdaw the retail trade union has appealed to local authorities directly saying the Scottish Government has failed to provide clarity on key worker status.
Retail trade union Usdaw says it has written to The Scottish Government three times urging them to clarify that workers in the food and pharmaceutical supply chains are defined as key workers who can access school childcare provision.
The union has not received the necessary clarity, so it has written to all Scottish local authority leaders directly, pleading with them to allow retail and pharmaceutical workers to make use of the much needed services schools offer, to enable them to go into work and provide the essential services we all rely on.
Stewart Forrest – Usdaw Divisional Officer for Scotland said: “Usdaw is extremely disappointed with the guidance issued by the Scottish Government on Friday regarding school closures. In the rest of the UK, the essential role of food and pharmaceutical workers has been recognised, with these workers rightly prioritised for childcare provision. This has not been made clear in the guidance for Scotland.
“There is an extraordinary effort being undertaken by workers throughout the supply chain, to keep Scotland fed. The supply of food and medicine is always an essential service, now more than ever. There should be no question whatsoever that our members in these roles are essential workers and that they need to be prioritised.
“It is very disappointing that we have been forced to write to local authority leaders directly, but we will not let this rest until our members, who are doing essential work in very difficult circumstances, have the correct support that they desperately need.”
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