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Unite: 'Hotel staff in temporary NHS wards need protection'

Charity
20 April 2020

A union has called for staff in hotels which are now temporary coronavirus wards to be better protected against the infection. 

Impacted guests have been quarantined (Credit: Mika Baumeister/Unsplash)

Unite, which represents thousands of employees in the hospitality sector, said it is concerned staff do not have training or the correct personal protective equipment (PPE) to be tackling the Covid-19 pandemic on the frontline. 

"Hotel workers, many of whom who are on the minimum wage, are being required to undertake new roles in a highly stressful environment without any proper safety guidelines," said Dave Turnbull, Unite’s national officer for hospitality.
 
“While some hotels are taking a responsible attitude and are trying to introduce guidance to protect staff, that is not true of them all.