The General Purposes Committee of ICTU met today and appealed on behalf of workers involved in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. It reiterated the need for all to heed public health advice about social distancing, hand washing and staying within a two kilometre radius of home. General Secretary Patricia King said “there is a real need for continued public support for our frontline workers and our communities”.
She also said “This is a time of great challenge and a time of opportunity to demonstrate how when working together much can be achieved. We stand in solidarity with our frontline and essential workers”:
- Those that in carrying out their duties are now themselves in danger of falling ill or losing their lives, while delivering essential healthcare and those in vital services which keep our hospitals and community public health service open;
- Those maintaining and delivering our food supplies and those working in shops and food purveyors to ensure the sustainability of our health and wellbeing;
- Those maintaining our essential utilities, services and public utilities;
- Those that continue to manufacture essential goods and those that have adapted their manufacturing processes to meet the call for additional supply of personal protective equipment;
- Our transport and aviation colleagues; and
- The men and women of our security forces.
As the largest civic society representative group across the island of Ireland we urge governments on both sides of this island to urgently adopt a uniform approach to public health.
Contact: Conor Kavanagh, Congress Commmunications Office, 086 811 6607
