FEARS for Fermanagh workers are now on the rise, following the Covid-related death of a Moy Park worker in Dungannon which has prompted for action to be taken with regards to the testing of all key workers for the deadly virus.
With a large number of food processing companies across the county now ‘busier than ever’ during this pandemic, concern remains for the safety of locals working in large crowds not just close to home, but the many Fermanagh workers who still travel across the border for work in meat plants based in virus hotspots Cavan and Monaghan.
Speaking to the Herald, Cllr Eamon Keenan explained; “This is another case of employer’s putting greed and profits before the safety of their workers. I would like reiterate to all employers that you all have got a responsibility to provide a safe working environment for your employees and to the employees I would say remember you all have Rights and to call out exploitation and unsafe conditions as and where
you see it.
“There should be testing available for all key workers, whether they are in the food industry, shop workers, cleaners, Domiciliary care
workers or care home workers. If we look at the figures for the North, 42% of deaths have been in care homes and that number is rising. Why
are these care workers not being tested?” A local spokesperson from the ‘Unite’ group told the Herald; “Promises of all kinds of safety and protection are not believable when certain companies in Fermanagh, Tyrone and all of Ireland operated away throughout this pandemic.
“Where have the health executive been all this time? What premises have they visited? They actually asked one company in Enniskillen to send photos of their social distancing measures as they didn’t want to come out.
“The conditions to combat Covid-19 in many of our crowded work places is not adequate to protect workers. That has been the case in many
other meat plants throughout the country for some time now and not just Fermanagh/Tyrone.”
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