Employees at Checkers New Park were sent back to their work stations an hour after the store was disinfected on Thursday morning due to a positive Covid-19 case.
STAFF at Checkers New Park were sent back to their work stations an hour after the store was disinfected on Thursday morning due to a positive Covid-19 case.
The workers had reportedly downed tools earlier in the morning and refused to enter the store after learning that one of their colleagues had tested positive.
The SA Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers Union (Saccawu) was called to intervene and later urged the workers to return to their work stations.
According to Saccawu representative Anthony Kgobi the store had produced a compliance certificate which showed that it was safe for the workers to resume their duties.
Kgobi said the certificate indicated that the chemical used to disinfect the store was not harmful and that work could resume an hour after using it.
“In an event where a worker or anyone gets sick due to inhalation of the chemical used to disinfect their place of work then the service provider will be liable,” added Kgobi.
He could not say how many workers had tested positive and which sections of the store they worked in. “The store refused to give further details and said that is confidential information,” said Kgobi.
He, however, indicated that they have reached an agreement with store management “to open the channels of communication” in this regard.
Efforts to get comment from the store were unsuccessful.
