A construction worker has accused his bosses of putting “money over safety and welfare” amid claims the team has been told if they go home showing signs of Covid they will not get paid.
The whistleblower claimed that several Cala Homes sites across the north-east have cases of the virus, but are not being shut down for a deep clean.
He claimed that staff have been told if they go home showing symptoms, or even go for a test, they will not get their wage.
Cala is building properties at sites including Persley Den, Grandholm, Craibstone, Milltimber, Cults and Inverurie, and the worker suggested there were “four or five cases” at each – with managers and other workers often travelling between them.
He also claimed that some of his colleagues had been at the Scotland v England match at Wembley and since tested positive, but were still expected to turn up for work.
A spokeswoman for Cala Home North maintains that the company remains “confident” they have all the appropriate safety measures in place.
Lack of appropriate Covid-safety measures?
The construction worker said: “Literally every Cala site has got cases of Covid.
“I feel like we’re all being made to work around each other which is causing it to spread – they’re not closing the sites for a deep clean and everyone is getting exposed.
“It’s been going on for weeks, but now some of the guys have come back from the football in London and tested positive. They’re segregating some of them, but the rest of us are just expected to work around them.”
The worker said the threat of not being paid was an effective “deterrent” for anyone to go and get tested.
“We’re worried,” he added. “We’ve heard about the outbreaks in Aberdeen and cases getting bad again, but we’ve been told if we go home or go for a test they’re not paying us, it’s a deterrent.
We just feel that we’ve been let down by our employers.”
“The bosses will say that there’s only meant to be two people in each house, but they’ve all been sold so in reality we’ve been told to get in there and get the work done.
“We feel like it’s money over our safety and welfare.
“We’ve just got to get on with it and hope we don’t catch it.”
Cala Homes “confident” they’re following correct procedures
However, a spokeswoman for Cala Home North has insisted that following an investigation into the raised concerns, the company remains “confident” they have all the appropriate safety measures in place.
She said: “The safety of those working on our sites is our number one priority and we have robust health and safety procedures, and strict social distancing measures in place to help protect our team, our customers and local communities.
“When we have been informed of cases, they have been dealt with swiftly and in line with Government guidance and Cala’s own strict policies.
“We support staff who need to get tested and require anyone with symptoms of the virus or who test positive, to remain off site and self-isolate as per Government guidelines.
“We have been made aware of the concerns raised, these have been investigated and we remain confident that we have the appropriate safety measures in place across our sites.”
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