Johnson urges construction workers to return to work

Boris Johnson has urged construction workers to return to work as he announced a very limited relaxation of the “lockdown” measures imposed in March to fight the coronavirus.

In a live televised address to the nation this evening at 7pm (pictured, right), the prime minister said that from this week there will be a “change of emphasis” in lockdown measures, with those who are unable to work at home actively encouraged to do so, and a relaxation of rules around outdoor activities.

However, with construction firms having been urged to keep sites open throughout the lockdown period, it was not immediately clear whether the moves will make any practical difference to the housebuilding industry.

In particular it was not clear whether there will be any imminent change to government guidance around house buying and selling, which is severely limiting housebuilders’ ability to sell homes. 

However, according to reports on Monday morning, the government will at lunchtime today publish a 50-page dossier setting out new guidelines for working practices under the revised lockdown arrangements.

Johnson has already been criticised for the decision today to change the government’s tag line for the crisis from “stay at home” to “stay alert”, with Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon saying the new phrase was “vague and imprecise” and potentially “catastrophic”.

None of the UK’s devolved nations are this week following the UK government in changing the central message, and none are relaxing restrictions on outdoor exercise as far as Boris Johnson is in England.

Johnson also set out a plan for further relaxations which could be brought in from June 1, including the “the phased reopening of shops” and the re-opening of primary schools to reception, year 1 and year 6 students, if the rate of coronavirus infections does not rise.

Again, it was not immediately clear whether this would allow housebuilders to re-open sales offices and showhomes, which have remained shut during the lockdown so far.

Johnson said the government was “taking the first careful steps to modify our measures.” He said: “the first step is a change of emphasis that we hope that people will act on this week.

“We said that you should work from home if you can, and only go to work if you must.

“We now need to stress that anyone who can’t work from home, for instance those in construction or manufacturing, should be actively encouraged to go to work.”

He added that “to ensure you are safe at work we have been working to establish new guidance for employers to make workplaces COVID-secure.”

He added: “And we want it to be safe for you to get to work. So you should avoid public transport if at all possible – because we must and will maintain social distancing, and capacity will therefore be limited. So work from home if you can but you should go to work if you can’t work from home.”

Johnson said staff should get to work by car or “even better by walking or bicycle”.

Johnson also stressed the relaxation was conditional on “all of us – the entire country – follow[ing] the advice, to observe social distancing”.

Labour opposition leader Kier Starmer accused Johnson of asking millions to return to work without a clear plan for how to make it safe.

From Wednesday people will be able to take unlimited exercise outdoors and also sunbathe and drive to beauty spots, as long as social distancing rules are maintained.

Melanie Leech, chief executive of the British Property Federation, said: “We urgently need the Government to publish the detail in its back-to-work papers and what public health guidance will apply as more people return to their places of work and have more freedom to enjoy public spaces. The overwhelming priority is to make sure that people are safe, but businesses will need time to prepare for and apply this guidance.”

A spokesperson for the communities department confirmed that some new guidance was forthcoming and that workplaces should seek to implement it as soon as practicable, but was unable to say if the guidance for workers in housebuilding and construction specifically was changing. The spokesperson said: “As the PM said, anyone who can’t work from home, for instance those in construction and manufacturing, should be actively encouraged to go to work. This is a group of people who already can work, and have been permitted to do so throughout”.

“Further guidance will be published in due course.”

This story was updated on 11.5.20