Bakkavor: Worker dies amid Covid outbreak at salad factory

A man who worked at the factory near Dover died after contracting Covid-19

A factory making salads for M&S should close to help tackle a Covid-19 outbreak after a worker died, a union has said.

One employee at Bakkavor Salads Tilmanstone near Dover, Kent, died after contracting the disease and 70 others have tested positive.

Frank Macklin, of GMB, said the site should shut temporarily and only re-open after all staff are tested.

The company said there was no evidence the man contracted the virus at work.

Public Health England (PHE) said he had shared a car with members of his close family, who also work at the factory and tested positive at about the same time.

It said it was satisfied the firm was "working hard to implement Covid-19 secure measures".

The districts of Dover and neighbouring Thanet are among the 10 areas of England with the highest infection rates. 

A further 69 employees are self-isolating and receiving statutory sick pay of £95.85 per week.

The lower rate of pay meant workers were forced to "gamble with their lives because they can not afford to take the time off", Mr Macklin said.

"A lot of people probably come into work knowing they have possibly been in contact with someone who may have Covid," he added.

'Stringent controls'

The union has begun a formal grievance process and believes the health and safety of workers has been "seriously compromised", he said.

The Bakkavor Group, which has factories across the UK and in the US and China, said it has "stringent safety controls" in place.

"The wellbeing of our people is a priority to us and it is a tragedy when a valued member of staff dies," it said.

It said it is reviewing its sick pay policy "on an ongoing basis".

The factory is thoroughly cleaned each night, with a "virucidal clean" carried out twice a week, it added.

M&S said it had worked with all suppliers to help them meet government guidance and PHE advice throughout the pandemic.

"To help Bakkavor, we have reduced the volume we are taking from the specific site at this time," it added.