UNISON has called for a public inquiry into the government’s mishandling of the coronavirus crisis, demanding a “day of reckoning” for failures that cost people their lives.

Dave Prentis, who retires as general secretary of the huge public service union this month after 20 years, slammed the treatment of public-sector workers.

He accused ministers of being “behind the curve” on procuring safety equipment at the start of the pandemic, of routinely breaking promises and then denying a pay rise to workers who had served their communities heroically.

The government had not been geared up to deal with the pandemic, and people had died as a result of issues such as shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE), Mr Prentis added.

“Every promise made by the government has not been delivered,” he said. “You expect the government to be proactive but they have only reacted to events.”

Mr Prentis said that a Unison helpline was flooded with thousands of calls about PPE shortages which “brought tears to your eyes,” but when details were passed to ministers “we didn’t even get a reply.”

Unison found itself paying for school uniforms and funerals and had given other financial support to its members, said Mr Prentis, adding: “We can see at first hand what is happening — and it’s at complete variance to the platitudes from the centre of politics.”

He warned that valuing public-sector workers was not just about clapping every Thursday and said they deserved decent pay.

“This crisis is not just about doctors and nurses, it’s about cleaners, porters, care home staff, mortuary workers, many on the minimum wage,” he added.

“They have done so much throughout the pandemic. They are exhausted and live in fear of catching the virus but they are being told by the government they will not have a pay rise. It’s disgusting.”

Unison has recruited 25,000 new members since the start of the pandemic, including thousands of school support staff since the union joined campaigns to close schools because of the rapid spread of coronavirus.

The result of the election of Mr Prentis’s successor will be announced on Monday, and he will formally retire on January 22.