Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid) 11 November 2020
Alison Johnstone has consistently made those points, in her speech and before in the chamber, and she has done so again.
It is important to note that some staff who are eligible for a test decline to take it up and they cannot be forced to take a test. In the short time that I have, I want to talk about the barrier that losing income can be for people and how that can affect how they choose to act—if, indeed, it is a choice for low-paid workers. I welcome the fact that the Scottish Government has established a social care staff support fund to ensure that care workers who test positive for Covid-19 will receive sick pay above the current statutory level of £95.85 a week. That should go some way towards helping to ease the financial burden that having to isolate places on them.
It is absolutely crucial that employers also act responsibly and fulfil their duties with regard to the health and safety of their staff, and that workers are actively encouraged to follow guidance and are not pressured into coming in. I have heard about cases in which that has not happened right away and I urge workers to know their rights and speak up when they feel that things are not right. I reiterate that employers must fulfil their duties and must not put their staff in harm’s way.
I support evidence-led routine testing for all our health and social care staff.