Construction companies, evidently unable to maintain social distancing, continue to put their own workers and others at risk in pursuit of their bottom line. According to this article in the construction press, an infectious disease specialist for the NHS couldn't believe her eyes:
Every second vehicle was filled with builders in high-vis jackets. It didn’t make sense. The people in the vans, likely headed to densely populated construction sites, weren’t key workers – their job wasn’t essential. As an infectious disease specialist for the NHS, she was acutely aware of the catastrophic conditions Britain’s healthcare is poised to endure as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. The thought that construction sites might continue to operate shocked her. Hundreds of workers mixing with each other, touching the same things, creates an environment where the virus will spread. Not just between workers on the same project, but wherever they went afterwards: the shops where they bought dinner, the faces of kids they kissed at home. This morning’s commute was supposed to be different.
Dave Carr, a critical care nurse working in one of central London's biggest hospitals, calls for construction sites to be shut down to ease the pressure on the NHS and save lives. #shutthesites #PAYEveryworker #StayHomeSaveLives pic.twitter.com/MGfV725Z4v— Reel News (@ReelNewsLondon) April 6, 2020
Aggregate Industries – where coronavirus means 'business as usual' – has been in the firing line too:
Why on earth are you advertising a product like this, in times we are currently facing... sickening to think is all your care about is sales whilst country is struggling— Lee Hall (@LeeHall43358400) April 3, 2020
The same wage for danger working along with old contracts which doesn’t state it’s ok to work amongst life threatening conditions with the chance of wiping out your family from a virus all day every day, that’s got to be atleast a 50% pay rise, nobody’s mother is worth £10 p/h— Companies are frauds (@CompaniesAre) March 26, 2020
It would be totally acceptable if these profit greedy companies was supplying or building a super hospital for the government to help the nhs but they’re not so they have no genuine reason to remain open other than profits and greed and lack of care for they’re workers #HSE— Companies are frauds (@CompaniesAre) March 26, 2020
