COVID-19: 2 Sisters Factory

Part of 5. Topical Questions – in the Senedd at 3:06 pm on 24 June 2020.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Vaughan Gething Vaughan Gething Labour 3:06, 24 June 2020

Yes, I'm well aware that there's a further 2 Sisters plant within your constituency. It's been part of our conversations with the trade union side officials, and part of the reason why it's important for me to have a conversation with the sector, including, of course, employers. So, it will be myself and Lesley Griffiths, with her ministerial responsibilities, engaging in that work. It builds on the review that she's ordered through Food Innovation Wales and the guidance that I will issue within this week, to make clear the things that should not happen and the interventions that could and should be undertaken, but also to highlight that there is good practice within the sector.

The trade union side were very keen to emphasise that they think that there are good employers in this field, and that it's possible to operate with a minimal level of risk. What this really does, though, is that it highlights that COVID has not gone away, and that if people don't follow the guidance that we provide, then there are real consequences. So, I hope that there's a wider message there for the whole public, and not just people working in this one sector of the economy. If you feel unwell and you have one of the symptoms, get a test and self-isolate until you know the result of that test, and make sure your household does the same as well.