Staff concerns for safety at Park Cakes site

Date published: 03 April 2020


Bosses at the Park Cakes Bakery on Ashton Road in Oldham are being slammed for 'not caring' about their employees amid the deepening Coronavirus crisis.

Employees have been instructed to carry on working at the long-established site, with management seemingly having ignored the strict Government guidelines and advice on social distancing measures.

This has prompted a worried employee to contact the Chronicle anonymously, highlighting the concerns of both their own and numerous colleagues.

The Park Cakes Bakery employee told us: “They only care about money, they don’t care about human beings.

“We don’t have a choice, we have to keep working."

The employee has confirmed that social distancing can’t take place on the Park Cake production lines. 

Regularly there are around six to eight people within two metres of each other. 

Many of the staff are agency workers, so if they don’t go to work they won’t get paid, it is alleged..

The employee added: "We have been told to take annual holiday if we don’t want to be working, or to take unpaid leave.

“I’m very annoyed and it makes me feel quite scared. 

"People are still coming in when they’re feeling unwell because they feel like they don’t have a choice and they need the money.”

"I'm annoyed we’re not being furloughed so we can get the 80% from the Government.

"We don’t know what sort of germs or illnesses we’re taking back to our families."

The Chronicle has approached Park Cakes for a response, but has not received a reply at the time of publication.

The Chronicle reported on Friday how Employees at the Raven Mill in Chadderton are growing increasingly concerned about their potential health and safety following management's apparent disregard for the Government's strict social distancing measures at that site.

On Thursday, we reported on local MPs Jim McMahon and Debbie Abrahams' demanding ‘clarity’ for local warehouse workers being exposed to COVID-19.

Oldham Council officials are known to be monitoring the situation at the Raven mill site, as they are with all businesses across the borough.


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