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AUSTERITY KILLS AS CUTS HARMED EFFORTS DURING COVID

Scotland’s largest trade union body has claimed that years of budget cuts and austerity from government had “lethal” consequences during the COVID pandemic. The news comes as the UK COVID-19 Inquiry gets underway in Edinburgh this week. 

In their response to the Inquiry, the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) has set out how sustained cuts to public services in health and social care had a “grave” impact on Scotland’s ability to protect workers and the public during the pandemic.

The Inquiry will hear how staffing shortages in social care, a lack of PPE in addition to poor pandemic planning led to workers' safety being put at risk. Ahead of her appearance before the Inquiry today, STUC General Secretary Roz Foyer said workers were “dangerously exposed” to the virus as a result of public spending cuts.

Commenting, Ms Foyer said:

“Our testimony to the Inquiry makes clear that years of brutal austerity has fundamentally altered our public services with lethal consequences.

“Workers across our economy, especially in health and social care, were dangerously exposed to the virus through a deadly combination of understaffing, PPE shortages and poor pandemic planning from central government.

“With a Health and Safety Executive hamstrung by budget cuts and, with limits on devolution, a Scottish Government unable to effectively legislate on employment and health and safety matters, working people were caught in the cross-fire with grave results.

“As both Scottish and UK COVID-19 Inquiries progress, we will not lose sight of the urgent need to devolve employment, health and safety and equality laws to the Scottish Parliament. Lessons must be learned. Governments cannot repeat the same mistakes that led to the unnecessary and tragic deaths of so many workers throughout the country.    

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Article first appeared in today's Daily Record