Foodservice seeks clarification on key worker status

UK: The foodservice equipment industry trade bodies have called on the government to clarify whether some foodservice equipment personnel have key worker status.  

The government has said that those involved in food production, processing, distribution, sale and delivery, as well as those essential to the provision of other key goods (for example hygienic and veterinary medicines) have key worker status. 

The Catering Equipment Distributors’ Association, the Food Service Equipment Association and buying groups Cedabond and ENSE, insist that catering facilities play a vital role in keeping the healthcare, military and emergency services as well as food retail sectors operational. For this reason, they say it is important for foodservice equipment businesses to remain operational throughout the coronavirus crisis.

“We believe the government should ascribe key worker status for certain parts of the foodservice equipment industry workforce, for example where their organisation is under contract to maintain catering facilities in hospitals or care homes,”  said Food Service Equipment Association director Keith Warren.

At the same time, while the four trade bodies say they are “very reassured” to have read the government’s announcement of the job safeguarding scheme and financial support to wages, the foodservice equipment industry now waits to see more of the scheme detail and operating criteria.