DERRY CHAMBER CHIEF PRAISES WORKERS FOR KEEPING ESSENTIAL BUSINESS GOING IN CHALLENGING TIMES

 

The Chief Executive of Londonderry Chamber of Commerce has praised businesses and employees for their commitment to keeping essential work going in the face of the Covid-19 crisis.

Since the pandemic was announced and subsequent lockdown measures, many businesses have been forced to close their doors.

Other businesses face greater demand than usual and many of them have implemented new safety measures in the workplace to ensure work can go on and needs are met across many sectors.

Chief Executive of the Londonderry Chamber, Paul Clancy said:

 “The response of the business community at this time has been phenomenal. Unfortunately, many businesses which are deemed non-essential have had to close their doors and furlough staff. However, many more face increased pressures and a surge in demand for services.

 “The demand for food and other essential items such as cleaning items and medicines means that lots of businesses in those supply chains are working even harder to meet the demand.

 “I have heard from many businesses in recent days who have introduced new social distancing measures to keep things going. That means reducing shift patterns to manage numbers of people at work at any one time, or re-engineering factory floor plans to protect staff. Some we know have even sought out new premises to use in the short term.

 “The pragmatism of businesses at this time is great to see, not to mention the dedication of workers who continue to show up at work every day. Safety of the workforce has never been more important and we have seen so many examples of responsible employers and their staff working together to manage this.

 “Lots of them may not see themselves as frontline workers, but they are contributing to the wider national effort that will ensure that shelves are stocked and people do not go without at this very worrying time.”