After the most recent update from Alok Sharma, the Secretary of State Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, there was some debate about what it actually meant. Some thought it would open the door more clearly to go back to work if you’re a manufacturer or in construction. Some said that it was hardly an update at all and merely restated what was said in his first statement. I agree with the latter. It said very little new and only provided more confusion where clarity was desperately needed.

For what its worth, I’m still of the opinion that unless you’re involved in the building of a hospital, GP surgery, pharmacy, supermarket or anything else of that kind, you should be at home.

This is what Certass had to say about the latest statement and their following discussions with the Government:

There has been recently some considerable chat on other social media forums and channels about Alok Sharma’s letter concerning manufacturing dated 8th April.

In our morning call today with Government we discussed terminology as regards our industry. The letter was not aimed at what we consider manufacturing and nor is comments about construction referring to working in homes.

The Government line is still the same, and just as you should not be visiting your relatives nor should you be entering the homes of other people to do anything but essential repairs and maintenance.

We will be receiving more officla clarification shortly, and we will update our members on our communications.

It is a shame that our industry is not uniting in a common position but sometimes we need to do what is morally right by our own staff and customers.

We will be putting a poll out later on what you wish us to focus on next week – please reply as this is your forum and how we spend our time should be aligned to your concerns.

I am in agreement with this assessment. I have said before, that in a time of crisis, where remaining neutral and sitting on the fence isn’t really an option, our industry trade bodies need to be adopting a common position to provide clarity to the industry.

Many of us out there are unsure about what to do over the next few weeks. In a time like this, what was required was our industry leaders and bodies to stand up, take a position, explain it, then explain it to the rest of the industry. Not just for it’s own members first, everyone. We are supposedly all in this together, right now it doesn’t feel like it.

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