UNISON: UK libraries should stay closed to protect library workers and families

 The United Kingdom's largest union, UNISON, has called for libraries to completely close during the UK's third lock down amid a new highly contagious strain of the COVID-19 virus.

The government's stated guidelines ask for libraries to continue services such as IT access and curbside service. Facing a growing health crisis UNISON views even these services as too dangerous for library workers, who will have to provide these services, and their families

Compounding the problem for library workers, the union argues, is the fact that many library workers are already isolating and more are to be deployed for food delivery and other services leaving already struggling libraries under staffed.