Calls for poultry factory closure after worker dies from Covid-19

Workers union Unite says urgent action is needed by local government Ministers after Luciana Viviana da Silva died from Covid-19 and other clusters of infections reported at other poultry and meatpacking sites. The union is also demanding that the entire workforce at Moy Park’s Dungannon site, and their families, must be tested and assessed, with workers receiving full pay for the duration.

Sean McKeever, regional officer for Unite, demanded that the Northern Ireland Executive act urgently bring forward an emergency response to the rising number of Covid-19 clusters among workplaces in the poultry and meat industries. McKeever said: “Unite has now confirmed that a worker based in Moy Park Dungannon has died following contracting the Covid-19 virus. This is devastating news and we would like to extend our condolences to her friends and family.”