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Valero shutdown contractors ‘put at risk’

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THE HERALD has been contacted by employees at a local firm working at a local oil refinery have been told that they had to continue working whilst awaiting coronavirus test results. The local authority says it is investigating.

Several Hertel employees (A subsidiary of Altrad), who wish to remain anonymous, have contacted this newspaper to express their concerns, explaining their employer is putting “their lives and their families lives in danger.”

Sources have told us how two employees of Hertel, who are currently subcontracted to work on the shutdown at Valero, Pembroke, received a positive coronavirus test result, however they claim that Government guidelines are not being followed by the company.

One worker told us how a group of around eighteen employees were told last Tuesday (Mar 23) they would have to go for a coronavirus test as a precautionary measure as they had been in contact with two employees who had tested positive a few days previous.

It is reported that Hertel management told the employees that they must book a test through the NHS testing centre, then once they had the test return to work while they await their result, or they will be penalised financially.

One source said: “They were told by bosses to go get the test and come back to work or you will not get paid. If you come back, you won’t lose anything.”

“If you don’t come back you get nothing.”

Current government guidelines state that those who have taken a test must self-isolate until they receive their results.

Whilst at the coronavirus testing site in Prendergast, Haverfordwest, the employees were told that they must self-isolate until they receive their results.

A source told us that only four employees followed the NHS and Government guidance and stayed at home until they received their test results.

Which left approximately 14 employees returning to the Valero site to continue with their shifts.

Two of the employees who returned to work received positive test results the next day, we have been told.

A source told The Herald how they feel both the individuals who returned to site and the company are both responsible for breaking guidelines.

They added: “It’s all about bums on seats and getting paid.”

They said: “Everybody knows the guidelines, I don’t know what these guidelines that Hertel are following are or where they are getting them from, but they are not the Government guidelines”.

“This virus is killing people.

“It’s either health or wealth, they’ve chosen wealth.”

One source told us that the Council had contacted Valero who in turn spoke to Hertel and asked them to get the employees who had been in contact with the individuals to get tested.

A source alleges that Hertel have issued the same guidance, that employees go for their test, then return to work while awaiting their results.

Another source told us that the way the company is operating is putting people’s lives at risk, they said: “They are letting people back on site with a potentially life-threatening virus, well it is life-threatening.

The Herald contacted both Valero and Pembrokeshire County Council for a statement.

Stephen Thornton, spokesperson for Valero said that they were working with Pembrokeshire County Council.

A Pembrokeshire County Council spokesperson said: “Pembrokeshire County Council is aware of this incident and has been working closely with Public Health Wales to ensure that it is managed appropriately.

“Any confirmed cases and all identified ‘close contacts’ are required to isolate for 10 days and asked to take a test.

“In certain situations, as part of the Health Protection response of ‘Case finding’,  it can be appropriate to offer COVID-19 tests to a wider group of individuals, even though they have not been identified as close contacts.
Individuals who have not been identified as close contact but who have been asked to take a Covid-19 test as part of case finding would not be expected to self-isolate.  However, if any of these individuals test positive or they develop symptoms, they would be required to self-isolate as a case and their close contacts would be traced and asked to self-isolate.

“The local authority and Public Health Wales have worked with the businesses concerned and anyone identified as needing to self-isolate would subsequently have been unable to gain access to the site until after the completion of any self-isolation.”

The Herald has also contacted Hertel for a statement, we await their response.

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Closure of Tata Steel’s coke ovens sparks political and union backlash

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THE recent announcement by Tata Steel to close the coke ovens at its Port Talbot plant in South Wales has ignited a firestorm of political and industrial action, highlighting the deepening crisis within the British steel industry and the challenges facing the transition to green steel.

Jo Stevens MP, the Shadow Welsh Secretary, expressed her concerns over the impact of the closure on the Welsh steel industry and the workers affected. Stevens emphasized the need for assurances about the workers’ immediate future and pledged that a UK Labour government would invest in the steel industry to support the transition to green steel, harnessing the skills, talent, and ambition of Welsh steelworkers.

The closure, slated for Wednesday due to concerns over the ovens’ “operational stability,” has been criticized by regional Senedd Members for South Wales West, Tom Giffard MS, and Dr. Altaf Hussain MS. They accused the Labour Welsh Government of neglecting its support for the Tata Steelworks in Port Talbot, highlighting a lack of financial assistance since 2019 and calling for a change in response to the current developments.

Unite, the UK’s leading union, has been vocal in its opposition to Tata’s decision, describing it as a shock and a “result of years of betrayal.” The union criticized Tata for not disclosing the imminent risk of closure during recent consultations and announced a ballot for industrial action among 1,500 Tata workers. Unite insists there should be no job losses at Port Talbot or Llanwern and that a blast furnace should remain operational.

Peter Hughes, Unite’s regional secretary for Wales, called for Tata to halt its closure plans in anticipation of Labour’s promised £3 billion investment to rejuvenate the UK steel industry. He accused Tata of managing the decline of UK steel while accepting government subsidies, describing the company’s actions as “deliberate industrial vandalism.”

The closure has not only raised concerns about the future of steel production in the UK but also spotlighted the political and economic strategies required to ensure the industry’s survival and transition towards more sustainable practices. The unfolding situation underscores the need for a collaborative approach between the government, industry stakeholders, and the workforce to navigate the complex challenges ahead.

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Firefighters tackle blaze at block of garages in Monkton

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ONE person was injured as a result of a sunday afternoon garage fire in a block of garages in Monkton.

A spokesperson for Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service told The Pembrokeshire Herald said: “At 1.31pm on March 17, Pembroke Dock and Milford Haven crews were called to extinguish a fire in an alight central garage and were forced to use two breathing apparatus and two hose reels.

“The firefighters reportedly left the scene at 3.02pm after continuing to dampen the fire and check for fire spread.

“The casualty was treated by ambulance service personnel also in attendance.”

The police confirmed that a garage fire had been dealt with by Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service and Welsh Ambulance Service attended.

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Air ambulance called following incident at Aldi Pembroke Dock

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THE WALES AIR AMBULANCE, along with the Welsh Ambulance Service and police were called on Monday morning to an incident at the Aldi supermarket car park in Pembroke Dock.

The Herald understands that the alarm was raised after a car hit a person in the car park after 9am.

We have been told that the incident involved a local taxi.

The emergency services have been asked for a comment.

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