London: An Indian-origin Opposition Labour Party MP said she has been sacked in her role of care worker. She had returned to her previous profession to join the fight against coronavirus in the United Kingdom (UK). She informed that she was sacked for speaking out against the shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) on the frontlines.
Speaking out
Nadia Whittome was born in the UK to a Punjabi father. She is the youngest MP in the House of Commons representing her birthplace of Nottingham. Whittome is now running a drive to encourage care workers to speak out if they have safety concerns.
“Because I’ve spoken out about this (PPE shortages) I’ve been sacked from my employment. But this isn’t just about me, it’s not just about one individual case, or even one employer. Care workers across the country are being easily exploited by their employers. This exploitation increases if they’re on zero-hours contracts,” said the 24-year-old Whittome. She has also pledged to donate the salary from her part-time role to a local COVID-19 support fund.
“If any care worker has been pressured or threatened with disciplinary action for speaking out about of PPE, then don’t panic. I’d like you to contact my office, in confidence, to share your experience. It’s really important that we get a picture of the scale of this happening,” Whittome said.
Reasons for terminating contract
Her employer ‘ExtraCare’ said in a statement explained the reason for terminating Whittome’s contract. It said the company no longer required extra staff and so Whittome was asked to leave. It also said that there were no problems with PPE at the Lark Hill retirement village. Whittome had been working at that particular venue.
“Nadia joined us as a casual worker to help our care team and we welcomed her contribution. She provided support on eight care shifts during March and April. Our in-house care team is now fulfilling our needs at this time and Nadia’s help is no longer needed,” the statement said.
Allegations denied
“At Lark Hill, we have over three months’ supply of Personal Protective Equipment. Among these are over 25,000 pairs of gloves, 7,700 aprons and nearly 6,000 masks. We also have access to further equipment should we need it. Reports that we have a PPE shortage are inaccurate and have caused concern amongst our residents. We have had to invest a significant amount of staff time reassuring our residents as a result,” the statement added.
In aid of care workers
But Whittome said she will be collecting evidence on how care workers are ‘undervalued, underpaid, and fear speaking out’. It happens due to their precarious employment status.
“Just over a month ago, when the coronavirus pandemic took hold, I returned to my part-time job as a care worker. I knew this crisis would be falling on already underpaid, overworked care workers. They would be over-stretched,” said Whittome.
“I’ve used the time to talk about the way in which the government’s response to this has neglected social care. There is a national shortage of PPE and testing. These are risking the lives of staff, of residents and of the general public,” added Whittome.
Opposition Labour Party Leader Keir Starmer spoke out in his MP’s favour. No-one should be sacked for speaking out, said Starmer.
PTI