Essential key workers including shop workers, school staff and those in utilities must be prioritised
Essential key workers including shop workers, school staff and those in utilities must be prioritised in the vaccine rollout to stop the spread of this deadly virus
GMB, the union for key workers, backs calls for all public facing key workers as well as critical supply workers to receive a Covid-19 vaccination.
At Prime Minister’s Questions today the Leader of the Opposition, Keir Starmer told the House of Commons that Labour is calling for key workers such as school staff to receive the protective measure after the top four most vulnerable groups have been inoculated.
It came as Boris Johnson confirmed that schools in England would not re-open before March.
Earlier this week, NHS England chief Sir Simon Stevens also suggested that key workers should be prioritised for a vaccine.
GMB believes as the Government plans the next stage of the vaccine rollout that the only way to tackle the spread of the virus is to prioritise the vaccination of essential workers including staff at schools, to protect them from infection from students and vice versa.
Dan Shears, GMB National Health and Safety Director said:
“Key and essential workers who throughout the Covid-19 pandemic go out to work and are risking their lives to keep our country ticking over must be included in vaccine rollout plans as soon as possible.
“After all those over 70 have been vaccinated the Government needs to prioritise a mass vaccination roll out to key workers and we need to see those plans now.
“We can’t afford any more of the dithering or eleventh-hour announcements from the Government.
“The death toll has already passed 100,000. It’s vital that the government gets this right and shows us the plans now to protect those like our school support staff.”
