Views from the frontline: challenges facing transport workers amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis

Many issues have been unearthed and put under the microscope since the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19), but arguably none more so than how undervalued and underpaid key workers are.

Our priority concerns

The tragic deaths of bus drivers have alarmed everyone and our priority is to remove all risks wherever possible. This has included enhanced cleaning regimes, completely sealed driver screens, rear door boarding as well as fewer people on buses and completely contactless payments, removing any handling of cash, which is particularly hazardous.

This is also an issue across road transport and logistics where, as a result of closed cafes and restaurants, workers have less access to handwashing facilities than ever before. Access to toilet facilities is a major problem for transport workers. Drivers need more regular breaks and we need to ensure a wider understanding that drivers now have a right, by law, to access the facilities at the premises they are delivering to.

We are also supporting trials of temperature testing for bus drivers, ensuring warehouse workers are not required to share headsets and hand sanitising wipes and sprays are available and appropriate PPE is provided. This is the same for ports workers where social distancing may not be possible, for example lashing workers, or those in rail engineering – appropriate protection is imperative for them to work in a way that doesn’t put them in danger and we have been raising serious concerns about protecting safety on repatriation flights and in airports.

Fighting for Flybe workers’ rights

Coronavirus (COVID-19) has had devastating effects throughout the transport sector, particularly in aviation. The risk of mass redundancies and most companies going into administration sparked the evidence needed for the development of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS).

Flybe went into administration on 5 March 2020, before the introduction of the CJRS. We are currently campaigning for certain provision within the scheme to apply to Flybe’s workers – similar to that recently secured for Carluccio’s workers.

Since then we have had the devastating redundancy announcements at BA and Ryanair, even while workers are furloughed. We have spoken with unions across Europe, and internationally, and looked at what other countries are doing to form a plan for how aviation could look. We have not forgotten about these workers and are doing everything we can to be a part of the conversation of how we move forward.

Moves in the right direction

We have seen some significant successes for transport workers, including the relaxation of regulations around medical certificates for drivers’ licenses. We’ve also secured full pay for furloughed tanker drivers and London bus workers, as well as protections for pregnant workers and those caring for family members, but there is still much to do. 

Wherever we can, for anybody who has been furloughed because they are at risk and for those on the lowest level of sick pay with exceptional circumstances, we’re ensuring their pay is topped up, either in total or at least in part.

We’re continuing our business-as-usual support too

While normal everyday business has been put on hold, issues around bullying, discrimination or harassment, for example, don’t simply stop being a problem because of the pandemic. These issues are still being dealt with and anyone experiencing such problems should escalate them accordingly.

We are incredibly proud of our members and we are doing everything we can to ensure they can do their jobs safely while they continue to work hard to keep the country moving. As we now plan for more workplaces to be open, it is imperative that we, and other unions, remain at the table involved in setting the standards to protect everyone, so the interests of the people directly involved are fairly represented and so we can all be safe.