News Release – for immediate release – 25/11/25
UK Hazards Campaign responds to the second report by the Covid-19 Inquiry on the Core decision-making and political governance
In response to the Covid 19 Inquiry second report on the core decision-making and political governance, recently released, the UK Hazards campaign finds the key findings harrowing to read but unsurprising. Our thoughts are with the families, friends and work colleagues of those who died and those who have been left with long term, life impacting disabilities because of the incompetence, gross negligence and indifference of a government unwilling to act by prioritising people’s health above their political neoliberal agenda.
We reiterate that if enforced correctly, health and safety legislation would have saved lives; that hundreds of thousands of lives would have been protected from infection if the Government and its agencies had acted properly.
Janet Newsham, UK Hazards Campaign Chair asks ‘Who is going to be held accountable for this unforgiveable failing by the UK Government to protect lives?’
We are still living with Covid in our communities and workplaces and the negligence by employers and Government continues to place people at risk.
Early in the pandemic the UK Hazards Campaign wrote to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) urging rigorous enforcement of workplace health and safety law, complemented by specific public health approaches recommended both inside and outside the workplace.
With foresight not hindsight, the Campaign identified both failures in policy and ways to rectify those failures through precautionary action, relying on good science, early and effective interventions, protecting key/essential workers, and more. This advice was dismissed by the HSE.
The UK Hazards Campaign on the first year anniversary of the pandemic held its own Workers Court which brought together witnesses from across the UK industrial sectors in the trade union and health and safety movement. This can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MTf64B6u9k .
It is a stark reminder of the first hand experience of safety reps, officers and experts during the first year of the pandemic. It is also a record of the failings by the Government, HSE and employers in many sectors to prevent the death and disability of workers from the Covid 19 virus. The final verdict of the court can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rICdGDvcams
The behaviour of the Conservative Government and its Public Health and Occupational Health organisations, including the Health and Safety Executive, grossly neglected the role of workplaces (including education, health and social care settings) in reducing the airborne spread of Covid, and failed to update and enforce health and safety preventions and protections.
In doing so they squandered the lives and health of many workers and condemned many more to long term disability, failed to halt the spread of the virus and the Covid pandemic, which continues now.
So, whilst we welcome this second report by the Covid-19 Inquiry on the Core decision-making and political governance, the UK Hazards Campaign doubts that anything will change for future pandemics, while Governments rule in favour of the elite and global trade above all else and totally neglect workers’ health and safety.
For more information, press only:
Contact: Janet Newsham – Chair UK Hazards Campaign
Email: janet@gmhazards.org.uk
Tel: 07734317158
The Hazards Campaign is a UK-wide network of resource centres and campaigners. The Hazards Campaign supports those organising and campaigning for justice and safety at work.
Contact details:
The Hazards Campaign
c/o Greater Manchester Hazards Centre
The Wesley Centre
Royce Rd
Manchester M15 5BP
ENGLAND
website www.hazardscampaign.org.uk
twitter @hazardscampaign