Long Covid

Our Ref: HSR/1/3
Head Office Circular: NP/255/21
19th July 2021
To: The Secretary
ALL BRANCHES
REGIONAL COUNCILS

Dear Colleague,

LONG COVID

I write further to Circular NP/183/21, dated 2nd June 2021, to inform you that your NEC (National Executive Committee) met on 15th July to consider a report from their Health and Safety Sub-committee on the issue of “long Covid”. In connection with this the NEC noted and adopted the following report:

We instruct the General Secretary to send this guidance to all RMT reps to use if representing members with suspected cases of long Covid.

At a time when cases of Coronavirus are rising sharply, and the Government has decided to recklessly raise all restrictions, our members are at risk of contracting Covid-19 and consequently to suffer from long Covid, particularly the young, amongst whom the virus is most prevalent.

Given that long Covid impacts individuals irrelevant of age we demand that the General Secretary redoubles his efforts to get an agreement with RICF on this issue, so that members will not be penalised if they are subject to sickness absence procedures when absent from work due to long Covid.

I am acting in accordance with these instructions. Please bring the contents of this circular to the attention of relevant members.

Yours sincerely

Michael Lynch
General Secretary