The Government has been accused of playing "Russian roulette" with the safety of DVLA employees as the infectious Omicron variant of coronavirus rages around Swansea, after claims that it has limited the number of people who can work from home.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the DVLA has had 1,700 staff who have tested positive for the virus, and has taken measures to ensure 2,500 of its 6,000 staff have been able to work from home.
But Swansea MP Geraint Davies and workers' trade union PCS feel that is not enough, and say they feel there should be more investment in home working to ensure the safety of more staff. There is currently 45 or fewer staff members who have the virus at present.
READ MORE:Coronavirus infection rates, cases and deaths for all parts of Wales
At the beginning of the first lockdown, the DVLA ran with 250 people on site, and the rest from home, Mr Davies said, adding that he felt a report on working from home produced by Deloitte had been "suppressed" by the Department for Transport and that level of home working precaution was therefore less than anywhere else in the civil service, such as the Department for Work and Pensions or the HMRC.
He said: "Obviously we all accept some work has got to be done at the office, but the issue is, the more people, the less social distancing, amidst a continuous eruption of Covid, even though they are claiming Omicron is not as serious to your health.
"Even though management agreed a system with the union PCS of more home working at the end of last year, after infection rates were again surging, the Government again has intervened and this is the second time the secretary of state for transport Grant Shapps has intervened to stop civil servants from the department introducing common sense precautions to keep people safe and to give them confidence and give them peace of mind to boost productivity.
"It is playing Russian roulette with the latest variant. We're now in the situation where the amount of people who have had coronavirus at the DVLA (over the course of the pandemic) is at 1,700.
"Thankfully, because of vaccination, we are not seeing death of the scale we saw before, but I think the attitude of the Government and in particular Grant Shapps, with the endorsement of Boris Johnson, who I've raised it with twice now, is placing fast and loose recklessly with people's safety.
"I guess they take the view that, oh it's alright, in all probability if they do get Omicron, they'll survive and go back to work, but the truth is, some people are more vulnerable than others and some people are in contact with family members who are more vulnerable than others.
"It's wrong from a management point of view, a business point of view, and from a human point of view, to be taking risks with the workforce."
National officer for PCS, Andrew Lloyd said it had been a "long running situation" with the DVLA, adding in the last month, there has been 291 new cases.
"We have been in a long running trade dispute about the way that the DVLA management has handled Covid in the workplace," he said.
"We think that they have never done enough to protect employees and more than that, they have mismanaged the situation. In comparison to the rest of the civil service, they have been the outlier in their approach on how to deal with Covid.
"The DWP and HMRC, the two bigger civil service departments, have had people working from home since the start of the pandemic and that has meant that they have been able to pay benefits and furlough payments for people working from home. The DVLA has never been prepared to do that.
"When there was an enforced lockdown at the start, they had most of their staff at home but doing no work, because they had not invested in technology. When they began opening things up they rushed people back into the offices and hence that's why it started a Covid crisis in the offices in Swansea, and that resulted in us taking industrial action to persuade them to do more. That resulted in a bit more, but never enough in our opinion."
You can now get all of the need-to-know news sent straight to your inbox by signing up for our free WalesOnline newsletter.
It takes just seconds to subscribe - simply click here, enter your email address and follow the instructions.
Mr Lloyd said that a recent measure brought in has seen staff getting a day off every week on top of their normal holidays, so that there are less people on site than normal.
"That's clearly better, but it does not go far enough in our opinion. It's an improvement but falls short on where they need to be," he said.
"There has got to be more investment to allow hybrid working. They have never been prepared to invest in that so they have been uniquely different to the rest of the civil service and they are still failing to keep pace with other private sector organisations. Our main concern of all is it puts our members at risk.
"It's the highest number of Covid cases at any one workplace in the UK. Our members go into work and the anxiety levels are just enormous. We have people ringing me and ringing our offices over their anxiety about being forced to go into work. People are still anxious because you just do not know how you are going to be hit with the illness.
"It's (coronavirus) going to be with us for a while yet. It just makes sense for people to be able to work from home. Part of the DVLA's reasoning is that they have sensitive data which can only be accessed from the site. But when you compare the sort of data that the DVLA and the HMRC hold, that's on a different level yet they are allowed to work from home.
"It's the lack of investment that has put the DVLA in this position."
The claims were put to The Department for Transport, which was contacted for comment, but it referred WalesOnline to the DVLA.
DVLA has spent over 5.7m to help keep staff safe on site, introducing safety measures including leasing two new building, fitting perspex screens, temperature check stations, increased and enhanced cleaning throughout the day, and regular on-site testing.
A spokeswoman for the DVLA said: "The number of positive cases at DVLA mirrors infection rates in the local community. There are currently fewer than 45 members of staff who would normally work on site that are self-isolating due to testing positive.
The safety of our staff is paramount and colleagues whose work does not require them to be on site will continue to work from home, as they have done throughout the pandemic.
Get Swansea stories straight to your inbox with our newsletter.
Read the original:
DVLA Covid row as Government is accused of playing 'Russian roulette' with staff - Wales Online
- Mason Shaw wins credit-card roulette, but skidding Wild can't get win in his NHL return - The Athletic - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- Russian Roulette: Why Macron raised the stakes on Ukraine - RTE.ie - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- Taking a Look at the Top Quarterback Prospects and Headline Roulette - The Ringer - March 4th, 2024 [March 4th, 2024]
- The future of Rhode Island gambling is quiet Rhode Island Current - Rhode Island Current - February 29th, 2024 [February 29th, 2024]
- Gege Akutami Played a Unique Version of Russian Roulette and Managed to Not Only Survive But Also Win - FandomWire - February 29th, 2024 [February 29th, 2024]
- Newfoundland and Labrador's top pathologist likens using drugs to playing Russian roulette - CBC.ca - February 29th, 2024 [February 29th, 2024]
- Seminoles open New Era in FL gaming, adds Craps, Roulette and Sports Betting at three casinos - Islander News.com - December 16th, 2023 [December 16th, 2023]
- Brighton Casino adds roulette, craps and sports betting - South Central Florida Life - December 16th, 2023 [December 16th, 2023]
- Every day like Russian roulette: Freed hostages share accounts of Hamas captivity - The Times of Israel - December 16th, 2023 [December 16th, 2023]
- Best Roulette Sites (2024): Top 10 Real Money Roulette Games To Play Online - San Diego Magazine - December 16th, 2023 [December 16th, 2023]
- Freed hostage says in Hamas captivity, every day 'a Russian roulette' - The Times of Israel - December 16th, 2023 [December 16th, 2023]
- Real Estate Roulette: California, New Jersey And Illinois Brace For Housing Headwinds - Yahoo Finance - December 16th, 2023 [December 16th, 2023]
- Best Real Money Online Roulette Sites in 2023 in Michigan - MLive.com - December 16th, 2023 [December 16th, 2023]
- Toddler Twins Endured 'Russian Roulette' as Hamas Hostages, Barely Fed or Let Use Bathroom: Mom - The Messenger - December 16th, 2023 [December 16th, 2023]
- Seminole Hard Rock Tampa celebrates gaming expansion - ABC Action News Tampa Bay - December 16th, 2023 [December 16th, 2023]
- Why Online Roulette Is Merging with Game Shows and ... - UrbanMatter - October 12th, 2023 [October 12th, 2023]
- Best Online Roulette Casinos: How to Choose the Right One for You - Nerdbot - October 12th, 2023 [October 12th, 2023]
- Popular Online Casino Games You Won't Find in Land-Based Casinos - PennLive - October 12th, 2023 [October 12th, 2023]
- Sour Punch Candy Asks You to Test Your Luck with a Ghostly ... - PR Newswire - October 12th, 2023 [October 12th, 2023]
- Best Table Games Online: UK Casino Games Ranked by Experts - Bookies.com - October 12th, 2023 [October 12th, 2023]
- The Biggest and Best Casinos in Wales - News from Wales - October 12th, 2023 [October 12th, 2023]
- Causer to host Potter County Senior Citizens Expo Oct. 13 - Olean Times Herald - October 7th, 2023 [October 7th, 2023]
- Strategies for Beating the House at Irish Casinos - Irish Boxing - Irish Boxing News - October 7th, 2023 [October 7th, 2023]
- Casino Games Like Roulette That You Should Try Online Today - The Sports Geek - July 29th, 2023 [July 29th, 2023]
- Russian roulette with missiles, drones and food | Opinion ... - ECM Publishers - July 29th, 2023 [July 29th, 2023]
- Alan Guebert: Russian roulette with missiles, drones, and food - The Hastings Tribune - July 29th, 2023 [July 29th, 2023]
- Best Casino Bets For Players Who Want To Go All-In - The Sports Geek - July 29th, 2023 [July 29th, 2023]
- England boss Wiegman's standing at the roulette wheel about to go ... - The Offside Rule - July 29th, 2023 [July 29th, 2023]
- Yung Miami Busted A Smooth Twerk In Jean Paul Gautier At Her Resha Roulette Game Night - HelloBeautiful - July 29th, 2023 [July 29th, 2023]
- Exploring the popular casino games in Latin America - The Gila Herald - July 29th, 2023 [July 29th, 2023]
- Discover more Halloween haunts around the country - Theme Park Insider - July 29th, 2023 [July 29th, 2023]
- partypoker Casino: The Ultimate Guide to Online Gambling - July 29 ... - NNN NEWS NIGERIA - July 29th, 2023 [July 29th, 2023]
- Rust Gambling: A Comprehensive Guide to Betting in Rust - July 29 ... - NNN NEWS NIGERIA - July 29th, 2023 [July 29th, 2023]
- BuzzLuck Casino: A Comprehensive Review of the Exciting Online ... - NNN NEWS NIGERIA - July 29th, 2023 [July 29th, 2023]
- Isle Casino: Experience the Ultimate Entertainment and Gaming ... - NNN NEWS NIGERIA - July 29th, 2023 [July 29th, 2023]
- Paris Casino: The Ultimate Guide to the City of Lights' Iconic Casino ... - NNN NEWS NIGERIA - July 29th, 2023 [July 29th, 2023]
- The Ultimate Guide to CGEBET3: The Best Live Casino Experience ... - NNN NEWS NIGERIA - July 29th, 2023 [July 29th, 2023]
- 747live net casino: A Comprehensive Guide to Online Gambling ... - NNN NEWS NIGERIA - July 29th, 2023 [July 29th, 2023]
- Resident Evil: Death Island Review - IGN - July 29th, 2023 [July 29th, 2023]
- The main advantages of online casinos with a minimum deposit - Bromsgrove Standard - July 29th, 2023 [July 29th, 2023]
- The best casinos in the world - Solihull Observer - July 29th, 2023 [July 29th, 2023]
- 24kBet Review: A Comprehensive Analysis of the Online Betting Platform - KhelTalk - July 29th, 2023 [July 29th, 2023]
- The Influence of Casino Themes on Movies Features Film Threat - Film Threat - July 29th, 2023 [July 29th, 2023]
- Real Money Roulette | Best USA Casinos for Online Roulette 2023 - April 6th, 2023 [April 6th, 2023]
- How to Play Roulette: 9 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow - February 5th, 2023 [February 5th, 2023]
- Britain caps off topsy-turvy year of queens death, prime minister roulette with energy crisis, economic woes - Fox News - December 28th, 2022 [December 28th, 2022]
- Do Roulette Players Use Strategies? - Grand Prix 247 - December 12th, 2022 [December 12th, 2022]
- Online Roulette for Real Money - Best 3 Casinos 2022 - October 25th, 2022 [October 25th, 2022]
- Online Roulette - Play Roulette for Real Money - October 25th, 2022 [October 25th, 2022]
- Lucky Roulette - Game on the App Store - October 23rd, 2022 [October 23rd, 2022]
- What roulette has in common with sports betting - We Are Brighton - October 23rd, 2022 [October 23rd, 2022]
- Online Slots vs. Roulette: Comparison Guide to Popular Casino Games - Colorado Hockey Now - October 21st, 2022 [October 21st, 2022]
- Perth man left with catastrophic injuries after shooting himself in the head in Russian roulette game - 7NEWS - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Conner Roulette cashing in on productive start to Saskatoon Blades tenure - Global News - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Streaming Roulette (Oct 11th-16th): Tuneful agents, teenage ladies, and werewolves (by night) - Blog - The Film Experience - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- 7 Fascinating Facts to Know about the Roulette Wheel - Utah Pulse - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Russian Roulette: How Ukraine Can Win the Game (Part 2) - Kyiv Post - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- R. Paul Wilson On: Norman Leigh And The Reverse Labouchere System - Casino.Org News - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- What Online Casino Games Are Most Popular In The UK? - Worcester News - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- The online gambling industry wants into California but do we want to let them in? - Valley Voice - September 3rd, 2022 [September 3rd, 2022]
- The Top Live Casino Games You Can Play at NJ Online Casinos - Pokerfuse - September 3rd, 2022 [September 3rd, 2022]
- Moore vs. Valdes: One of the First Boxing Matches Funded by a Casino - UrbanMatter - September 3rd, 2022 [September 3rd, 2022]
- Drake Celebrates Breaking The Beatles Record With Roulette - UPROXX - August 23rd, 2022 [August 23rd, 2022]
- What Are The Most Popular Games Played on Casino Apps? - Qrius - August 23rd, 2022 [August 23rd, 2022]
- SkyCity offers vouchers, mocktail competitions, spin at roulette in its search for 500 staff - Stuff - August 23rd, 2022 [August 23rd, 2022]
- No on California Proposition 26: Poison pill provision will harm communities and workers - The San Diego Union-Tribune - August 23rd, 2022 [August 23rd, 2022]
- It's Official! The Drake Curse Is Real As He Loses Almost Half A Mil On Bets After Head Kick That KO'd Kamaru Usman - The Shadow League - August 23rd, 2022 [August 23rd, 2022]
- Grosvenor Casino bonus code and sign-up offer - The Telegraph - August 23rd, 2022 [August 23rd, 2022]
- How To Understand Roulette Odds And Increase Your Chance Of Winning - San Francisco News - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- Best Bitcoin Roulette Sites in 2022: Reviewing the Top Crypto Roulette Games - The Daily Collegian Online - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- Live like a star in Las Vegas with free roulette and The Strip's best hidden bar - OK! magazine - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- Sorry, roulette players: high winds have delayed the 204th Royal St. John's Regatta - CBC.ca - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- The oldest casino games | Branded Voices | Advertise - Native News Online - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- What Are the Different Types of Online Casino Games That Appeal Players? - Programming Insider - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- 5 of the most overrated modern war movies ever made - We Are The Mighty - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- Countdown to kickoff 2022: Nearly 3 dozen teams welcome new coaches | Trib HSSN - TribLIVE.com - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- Best Payout Online Casinos in the UK for 2022: 15 High Payout UK Casino Sites (98%+ RTP) - We Heart - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- The PGA Tour has a roulette wheel full of Camerons at the moment - GolfDigest.com - July 31st, 2022 [July 31st, 2022]
- Evolution adds new Gold Bar Roulette variant to its live gaming portfolio - Yogonet International - July 31st, 2022 [July 31st, 2022]
- Looking back at the NFL's QB roulette - Deadspin - July 31st, 2022 [July 31st, 2022]