Coronavirus in the UK - news, lockdown and discussion

[Badgers]

Same when I did care work.
They all hated it and until they got to supervisor/manager they had zero choice in their hours

I still have no choice in my hours and limited choice on annual leave.

 

[SpookyFrank]

It’s fine if it’s genuinely a preference but usually it isn’t. My friends in retail were the ones missing out of family Boxing Day, going home early because they always had to work weekends and never having the same days off as their partners/friends. Same when I did care work.
They all hated it and until they got to supervisor/manager they had zero choice in their hours.

When they became supervisors/managers did they increase flexibility for those working under them?

 

[BristolEcho]

When they became supervisors/managers did they increase flexibility for those working under them?

Whilst I'm sympathetic to the point you are making, they don't actually have the power to do that either I suspect. I remember a mate of main trying to make the point that no one should want/become a manager, which is fine in theory, but often that's the only way to make any money in low paid jobs and to have a half decent working time. Even then it's still shit.

 

[Looby]

When they became supervisors/managers did they increase flexibility for those working under them?

What BristolEcho said. The flexibility they had was limited, it just meant that supervisors could shift around their own rotas a little bit if needed. They weren’t picking their hours. It’s shit in retail for everyone including seniors who generally have to be there to open and close.

 

[SpookyFrank]

Whilst I'm sympathetic to the point you are making, they don't actually have the power to do that either I suspect. I remember a mate of main trying to make the point that no one should want/become a manager, which is fine in theory, but often that's the only way to make any money in low paid jobs and to have a half decent working time. Even then it's still shit.

Yes it was more of a rhetorical question than a dig at anyone. I have friends in these low-level management roles and it's basically just a small bribe to act as a bulwark between the ordinary workers and the people who are actually in charge, who themselves probably outsource all the decision making to consultants anyway.

 

[BristolEcho]

Yes it was more of a rhetorical question than a dig at anyone. I have friends in these low-level management roles and it's basically just a small bribe to act as a bulwark between the ordinary workers and the people who are actually in charge, who themselves probably outsource all the decision making to consultants anyway.

Yep true. I've had some horrendous scum as middle managers, but also had some decent ones. I wouldn't like that job at all to be honest. I have very limited sympathy.

 

[BristolEcho]

Upgraded to moderate sympathy depending on the person who takes on the role.

 

[MBV]

I do get that.

My team (16 until this week) are a mix of ages doing a mix of hours/days. Those under 30 have all resigned over the last few weeks. They want their social lives and I can't blame them.

Do they all have new jobs to go to? Seems a strange thing to do with rising unemployment.

 

[wemakeyousoundb]

Unsociable hours is a debatable term really. Nobody's socialising anyway at the moment. I would much rather work in the evenings than the mornings, personally. And as the clocks are changing tonight, it'll be light till around 8. I don't care about shopping but being able to get a coffee or snack from somewhere that isn't Tesco would be nice.

I guess it's different outside of London, but can get coffee till fairly late in Brixton/Stockwell (many portuguese cafe/bars catering for this)

 

[kabbes]

it's basically just a small bribe to act as a bulwark between the ordinary workers and the people who are actually in charge

Technically I now report directly to the CEO and I’m still waiting to find myself in a position where I get to make any meaningful decision about the terms, conditions or pay of the staff that “report” into me.

who themselves probably outsource all the decision making to consultants anyway.

Nope, the company avoids consultants like the plague.

The truth is that whatever the reporting structure says, the reality is that it is beholden to the US-based group, and the decisions are really held there, way above even the regional CEOs’ heads, in the hands of genuine billionaires. Power over the conditions of workers in large groups is ridiculously concentrated.

 

[FridgeMagnet]

A low-level management role in any large organisation basically means you are tasked with enforcing policy decided by the aristocracy, with no influence on it beyond tiny implementation details, and the vaguest promise that you might be able to join that aristocracy one day via some fluffily-specified "management track". It's particularly bad in retail and hospitality though IME, where you are literally a quid or so more per hour than the people you're told to bully, and have completely zero chance of going any further.

 

[kabbes]

Indeed. The one thing I do have now, I suppose, is an ability to just look the other way and not care what people are “getting up to” on the grounds that they are grown ups that can really make their own decisions

 

[Artaxerxes]

Retail work is long hours and shitty already. I’m sure students and people who want flexibility might not mind working til 10pm but lots won’t want to and might be forced. Shops in most of the retail parks are open until 7 or 8. That’s plenty late enough.

The actually useful shops near me shut at like half four, maybe half five at latest.

Instead it's off to tesco express which is a fucking rip off and price gouges compared to larger stores

 

[elbows]

I've gone on about the following in the context of the vaccine phase of things in the UK before, but it was a little while ago now and I tend to use too many words so here is a simple version from the BBC live updates page today:

Dr Mike Tildesley, a member of the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Modelling group (SPI-M), says the number of hospital admissions will be key to England staying on track with lockdown easing.

"As we unlock we will see, potentially, cases rising," Dr Tildesley told Times Radio on Sunday.

"But if we don't see hospital admissions rising then, hopefully, we can be confident we can keep the relaxation campaign on schedule."

Thats the 12:33 entry of https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-56554227

 

[elbows]

I dont think Sir Richard Sykes has been on my radar before, but he is now and I dont think much of his analysis.

But the chairman of the scientific body the Royal Institution, Sir Richard Sykes, said the UK has "gone from being cavalier to crippling caution" when it comes to handling Covid.

"If we are not now well-prepared to put up with anything that's thrown at us, then it's God help all of us because that's the best we can do at this point in time," he told BBC Radio 4's Broadcasting House programme.

Covid: Another lockdown 'last thing in world' that government wants

The lockdown easing plan is on track, says a government minister - but dates could be delayed.

www.bbc.co.uk

Maybe he said other things on the programme that would help me understand his position, but whats quoted there is useless dribble to me. Better to be temporarily weighed down by caution than have to face scenarios later where in practice 'well prepared' and 'put up with' means more lockdowns etc.

 

[cupid_stunt]

Just been looking at the dashboard, and spotted over 30m have now had their first jab, that's just over 56% of adults, and up over 3m in the last week, 2nd doses are now on 3.5m, up almost 1.5m in a week.

* UK estimated population 67,886,000 - 21.3% under 18s = 53,426,282.

Despite the increase in new cases amongst the under 18s, that elbows has pointed out, overall new cases are holding steady, down -1.7% in the last 7-days.

Deaths reported today 'only' 19, down -31.7% in the last week, bringing the 7-day average down to 63, the last time it was that low was on the 10th Oct.

Patients in hospital, reported 24th March, 4,560 down by almost 2k in a week, and from the peak of 38,400, patients admitted in the 7-days to the 24th March - 2,607, down -20.8% in a week.

 

[Cloo]

it feels to me that the next 6 weeks or so are pretty fragile - if we can get through them OK in terms of hospitalisations and deaths then we're probably good for summer. I find it hard to believe we won't have to restrict things at least somewhat during winter though.

We evilly broke the rules a day early to have a lunchtime passover seder meal in our in-laws' garden today, but it was nice, if slightly chilly but at least dry (they have both had their first vaccine 8 weeks or so ago).

Going for a walk tomorrow in St Albans with a classmate of son's and his mum, so taking advantage of feeling Ok about travelling a bit further afield (though only about 40 mins) and being able to meet another household. And also nice weather as well, hurrah.

 

[MrSki]

What the fuck is going on?

 

[elbows]

A new vaccine priority group:

Households of adults with weak immune systems to be vaccinated

The aim is to reduce the risk of infection to those who may not respond well to a vaccine.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Wilf]

What the fuck is going on?

Darwin Awards Annual Outing?

FFS!

 

[elbows]

I suppose I will watch the Johnson, Whitty, Vallance briefing at 5pm, in part because it offers an opportunity to see the new briefing room they spent a load of money on.

 

[gentlegreen]

What the fuck is going on?

I peeled another sticker off of a covid safety sign at the park entrance earlier - something about "the great reset" - are these people mad, bad, sad or as thick as shit ?

 

[Wilf]

What the fuck is going on?

Not just NHS workers, supermarket workers who get stressed out by this kind of cuntery.

 

[elbows]

I suppose I will watch the Johnson, Whitty, Vallance briefing at 5pm, in part because it offers an opportunity to see the new briefing room they spent a load of money on.

Giant fucking flags.

 

[teuchter]

A new vaccine priority group:

Households of adults with weak immune systems to be vaccinated

The aim is to reduce the risk of infection to those who may not respond well to a vaccine.

www.bbc.co.uk

Why only over 16s though?
Or is this because no vaccines are yet approved for under 16s?

 

[elbows]

Or is this because no vaccines are yet approved for under 16s?

Yes.

 

[elbows]

Johnson made a joke about British Rail sandwiches. The ghost of Terry Wogan did not appear to make a joke about the BBC canteen.

 

[cupid_stunt]

UK signs deal for 60million doses of Covid vaccine - bottled in Barnard Castle

Boris Johnson announced a deal had been struck with GlaxoSmithKline to bottle the new jab at a facility in the north east

www.mirror.co.uk

I hope all the staff have had their eyes tested.

 

[elbows]

Increasingly awful press questions in todays briefing, which is no surprise since we know from the first unlocking that they are prone to express lockdown fatigue before other groups. Beth Rigbys questions especially shit given her own failure to comply with the rules in the past.

Vallance and Whitty have started the task of explaining the limitations of vaccination, although since the slide used involved estimated hospitalisations in only certain age groups, and only with the current level of infections, I am not giving them very high marks for effort at this stage.

 

[MrSki]

because it offers an opportunity to see the new briefing room they spent a load of money on.