TUBE MADNESS
Jeremy Corbyn says construction worker suffering from coronavirus forced to use packed Tube to go to work
JEREMY Corbyn has revealed how a construction worker suffering from coronavirus has admitted to using the London Tube as he had "no choice" but to carry on working.
At his last PMQs session today Jeremy Corbyn told the horrifying tale of a worker who felt like he had to go in anyway or he wouldn't be paid.
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The Labour boss demanded that all non-essential construction work be stopped immediately to halt the spread of the virus.
Ministers have said as long as all workers stay two metres apart that they can carry on coming in, sparking a huge row.
Mr Corbyn asked Boris Johnson today: "We heard on the radio a call from a self employed construction worker who said that he had contracted coronavirus, he was suffering from it, and had no other option but to get on the London Tube and go onto a site to work, obviously putting himself and all other passengers and all other workers on that site at risk.
"Why was he doing it? His site had not been closed down, he had no other source of income to feed his family.
"So he is going to work, making all of us be more at risk as a result. Can the PM be absolutely clear and give unequivocal guidance that construction work and non-emergency work should stop now?"
However, the PM could only say that people are allowed to go into work if they can't do their jobs at home.
Any businesses who can't make sure their workers stay two metres apart should be shut, ministers said earlier.
Boris said: "Everybody should work at home unless they must go to work and cannot do work from home. They should do so in accordance wit advice from Public Health England".
He added: "What we are saying is unless you need to leave the house for exercise, for medical reasons or buy essential supplies, is to stay at home, and save lives."
The case in question was Dan, from Leytonstone,
Dan told Nick Ferrari: "I am extremely confused at the moment, I am having to go against my morals.
"I am currently not well, I should be in quarantine.
"I work in the construction industry and I am on my way into work."
It's disgusting. I feel so guilty but I’ve got no choice.
Dan, construction worker
He admitted that he visited five or six sites per day but insisted he had no choice but to work to support his two-year-old daughter and pay his mortgage.
Nick told him he could be unwittingly killing other people by spreading the virus around, and Dan replied: "100 per cent. It's disgusting. I feel so guilty but I’ve got no choice."
He claimed that a scheme which paid for 80 per cent of his wages up to £2,500 a month (which is in place to help rotas on the payroll) wouldn't help him as it wouldn't cover even half of his outgoings.
"Unfortunately, it's human nature, when it comes down to the crunch, you put yourself first.
";I am definitely going to put my daughter and my wife first," he added.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon have both said they should be staying home too like most of the country.
The Mayor said this morning: "You can’t keep a safe distance on sites so the virus will spread and more people will die.
"I’ve repeatedly asked Ministers to ban non-essential work. Scotland already has - as has TfL. We need action today."
Daily footage shows builders and other workers being forced to cram into trains and Tubes to get to work.
And this morning up to 1,000 workers at the meat producer Moy Park, Portadown, walked out over safety concerns.
Boris and other ministers insisted the building work would contain vital maintenance that simply had to be done.
Demands for Mayor to bring back retired tube drivers to put on more trains
By Alexander Brown
SADIQ Khan has been urged to bring back retired Tube drivers to increase services and stop Londoners risking getting the coronavirus.
Tory candidate for mayor Shaun Bailey has begged Mr Khan to act after reduced services left underground services rammed with people despite the crisis.
Mr Bailey is demanding TFL put money aside to bring back old drivers, and claimed there are at least 139 qualified drivers and engineers who have taken early retirement in recent years.
He has also called for Night Tube drivers to be used in the day to boost services, adding as many as 85 drivers.
It comes after the Mayor said 20 per cent of TFL staff were self isolating or sick, and he had no choice but to reduce services and keep it that way.
Speaking today, Mr Bailey said: “We owe it to the heroes working in our NHS, and other key workers to ensure that their journey into work is as safe as possible.
“Right now, packed out trains because of a reduced Tube service is endangering the people we need to protect the most.
“In order to restore the Tube service while some TfL staff are sick or self-isolating, I am proposing using TfL reserve funds to re-hire at least 139 recently retired Tube drivers and engineers to ensure more trains can be run.
“At a time when recently retired medical staff are coming out of retirement to serve our NHS, I know recently retired TfL staff will be champing at the bit to help in any way they can.”
This morning Housing Minister Robert Jenrick also called for more services.
He said: “We do want to see more trains on the underground, we are in talks with the Mayor and TFL to put on more.”
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Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick was taken apart by the Good Morning Britain host, Piers Morgan.
He said: "We have to keep essential services and the economy moving forward.
";We need to ensure that services are delivered and the critical infrastructure of the country is maintained."
But Piers yelled back: "You're putting money above lives, aren't you?
"How are you going to feel with a policy that is opposite against country like France if the UK death rate explodes because you didn't lock down the country properly?"
Piers Morgan shouts at Tory Housing Minister Robert Jenrick 'you're putting money above lives' by letting construction sites stay open
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