Leeds TUC Calls For Factories To Be Commandeered By The Government To Produce PPE To Protect Staff From Covid-19

With growing reports of shortages of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for staff around the country, Leeds TUC is growing increasingly concerned about the safety of frontline workers, particularly in the NHS where a growing number of health workers have died from contracting Covid-19.

There have been numerous stories in the press, including at the Wheatfields Hopsice in Headingley, about worries about supplies of PPE running out, whilst Barnsley hospital workers were supplied with out of date PPE.

Leeds TUC is calling on the government to take over factories if necessary to increase the production of PPE to make sure that no frontline worker is forced into reusing PPE unsafely, or resorting to using out of date PPE which may be of questionable safety.

Iain Dalton, Leeds TUC Publicity Officer said, “Given many items of PPE are not complicated to manufacture, it is urgent that additional productive capacity is acquired by the government to make sure staff aren’t short. We call upon the government to take over factories if necessary, with democratic management by workers in co-ordination with frontline workers in the NHS and other key workers to ensure they are getting the supplies they need.”

John Ingleson, Leeds TUC Assistant Secretary and Chair of Leeds Teaching Hospitals Unison said “It shouldn’t be so hard to mass produce the PPE that frontline workers need. We were told that the government would be doing everything it takes in relation to tackling Coronavirus, so if there isn’t enough supplies why can’t the government take over factories to ensure frontline NHS staff get all the supplies they need.”