Sickening for Daventry Norse to play games with the lives of working families just to turn a profit
A contractor for Daventry District Council are sending workers who test positive for Covid-19 home without sick pay.
Daventry Norse is using lateral flow tests which are only 50% accurate, and anyone who refuses them will be suspended from work.
The workers, who number more than 60, keep the streets and parks of Daventry clean for as little as £8.89 an hour, just pennies above the minimum wage.
This leaves self-isolating Daventry Norse workers on Statutory Sick Pay, which amounts to less than £100 a week.
Other waste contracting companies provide full pay for workers in self-isolation.
David Warwick, GMB Regional Organiser said:
“You can’t punish frontline workers for catching Covid-19 when they’re carrying out essential work to prevent the spread of disease.
“It’s sickening for Daventry Norse to play games with the lives of working families just to turn a profit.
“If every other major waste contractor can provide sick pay, so can Daventry Norse.
