// Health sec Matt Hancock has told employers it is “critical” to provide safe workplaces
// The govt is in talks with trade unions about what rules should be in place post lockdown
Health secretary Matt Hancock has reportedly urged employers to provide safe workplaces post lockdown.
Hancock said he was in talks with firms and trade unions about what rules should be in place, highlighting that it is “critical” to ensure social distancing measures are met, Sky News reported.
However, it remains uncertain as to what extra sanctions businesses may face to ensure workers feel protected during the Covid-19 crisis.
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Labour leader Keir Starmer is calling for a “national safety standard”, warning that the “enforcement machinery been stripped down to the bare minimum”.
He called the consultation documents circulated over the weekend “pretty vague”.
Meanwhile, businesses have been urging the government to lift the lockdown in a bid to revive the economy.
A review of the social distancing measures will take place this week, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson due to reveal “phase two” of his Covid-19 plan.
Moreover, Hancock expressed fears over the privacy of an app that residents on the Isle of Wight are being urged to download as part of a trial of the South Korea-style “test, trace and trace” programme.
This means someone is alerted if their phone registers they have been in close proximity with an infected person.
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