Dr. Sharon McGuinness:

The 21 complaints, which related to approximately 12 plants, were across a range of issues.

In the early days, there was a discussion around social distancing in advance of the interim guidance from NOCT. All of those issues would have been addressed and followed up as part of the protocol and the interim guidance developed by NOCT. Reports of inspection, where relevant, would have been given. As regards the more recent complaints, there is a mixture of general occupational health and safety issues. For example, people who have been advised to wear visors and goggles in boning halls and who use many sharp knives are concerned about fogging. While trying to protect them from Covid, we might cause another occupational health and safety issue, so we have to recognise that. Some of the complaints are general concerns about colleagues who may have had a test or were travelling and did not inform the employer. There is a mix. My understanding is that the majority have come from individual workers.

On the union point and engagement under the protocol, there is a consultative forum through the Labour Employer Economic Forum, LEEF. The HSA, the HSE, the Departments of Health and Business, Enterprise and Innovation, and the various employment bodies and union bodies meet regularly. They have an opportunity to raise many of these issues when and as needed. There are many good connections with the workers and there are many opportunities for the unions to raise these concerns directly with the relevant parties.