A biscuit factory which supplies McVities has suffered a coronavirus outbreak, a worker has said.

The employee, who wished to remain anonymous, claimed five staff from one team at the Pladis factory in South Wigston, Leicester, had tested positive for Covid-19 this week. The cases have been reported to local health authorities.

Some members of staff are now self-isolating, with a spokesperson for the factory confirming they will remain on full pay. However, the worker claims the company has remained open throughout lockdown, while employees have ‘no option but to risk going into work’.

They said: ‘The factory [employs] lots of BAME workers who are more
at risk and many are from deprived areas.

‘Shouldn’t the firm consider its workforce? It is putting it’s staff who are mainly women of ethnic backgrounds at risk.’

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They added: ‘Workers are scared to take time off, management are company motivated, the factory has remained open throughout lockdown and they just keep going. The screens put in place to keep workers apart are actually a space constraint which could lead to injuries when trying to work.’

A spokesperson for Pladis said the health and safety of staff was of paramount importance. They told LeicestershireLive: ‘We do not comment on individual cases. However, we can confirm that we are being open and transparent with our colleagues if and when a colleague reports a confirmed case of Covid-19.

‘We have been in regular contact with the local health protection team this week, including today (Friday), and we are following all official guidelines.’

The spokesperson also listed social distancing measures undertaken at the site, which include screening, barriers, staggering start times to prevent crowds of workers arriving at the same time, and hand sanitising stations throughout the area.

They added: ‘Face coverings have been made available to all employees and visitors and we have also opened four pop-up canteens to ensure social distancing.

‘The site is closed at weekends, enabling a deep clean of the site and a all colleagues and visitors are instructed not to enter the site if they have any symptoms. Colleagues who are self-isolating receive full pay to ensure they feel no pressure to be at the site while unwell.’

A spokesperson for Public Health England said they are aware of the cases of Covid-19 at the Pladis Factory and supporting the companies involved.

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