UK trade unions are challenging plans by Boris Johnson to end Covid-19 regulations in England, saying the prime minister should put public health first.
The Trades Union Congress, an umbrella group for British unions representing more than 5.5 million people, said on Monday that the government should first commit to improving sick pay and supporting people with weakened immune systems and long Covid. The group warned that introducing charges for Covid tests at a time of rising consumer prices would be “an act of madness.”
Johnson is set to announce an end to England’s rules on Monday, a day after the UK’s 95-year-old monarch Queen Elizabeth II tested positive for the virus. The Cabinet is scheduled to meet on Monday to sign off on the so-called "Living with Covid" plan, ahead of a statement by the premier to Parliament. A news conference with Johnson is scheduled for early evening.
