We are NOT 'All in this together'

p00hsticks

I didn't want to respond negatively to a thread in the 'coronavirus positivity' forum, but I'm really fed up of hearing that we're 'all in this together', as if it's the same for everyone - we weren't 'in it together' before covid-19, and we sure as hell aren't now. If anything it's widened the gap between the haves and have nots in our society.

Sure we might have gone out and clapped once a week for the delivery drivers, and supermarket workers and hospital cleaners, but thats not much consolation to some of those in those professions who should be shielding but can't afford to survive on just SSP and so have to choose between sriously risking their lives by working or starving. It's fine to say ' you must stay at home' when you have a large house with space to move in, a garden to sit in and an regular income without working such as a pension, but another thing when you still have to go out to try to earn to pay the rent, and live in cramped overcrowded conditions with no outdoor space.  It's fine closing down schools when you have a stay-at-home parent or nanny / au pair to provide childcare, and the IT equipment and education to be able to continue with constructive home schooling, but  another thing if you are a single parent who should be working and is not equipped to provide much in the way of home schooling. It's fine to say 'go back to work' for those who have had a nice few months off on 80% furlough pay and are able to resume their business more or less as normal, but not for those in the many jobs such as hospitality and entertainment which are likely to be dramatically affected for years to come. It's fine to say the 'hospitals are coping' so that if you catch coronavirus you can get treated, when this is at the price of moving covid-19 positive patients into your care home, or cancelling your treatment for other serious life-threatening conditions.

Covid-19 is affecting all of us, but it is not affecting all of us equally, and we are NOT 'all in it together'.

JJ_Egan

Agree especially as some most definitely do not want to be in it together as they want more than others .Even go as far as demanding more than others .

Sea_Shell

I read a comment which I think sums it up...along the lines of.

"We're all sailing down the same river...but our boats are all different."

p00hsticks

Sea_Shell said:

I read a comment which I think sums it up...along the lines of.

"We're all sailing down the same river...but our boats are all different."

I'm not even sure we're in the same river - some are going down rapids whilst others are having a leisurely drift downstream

sharpe106

Unfortunately it is the poorer workers of society that are getting it the worse. The ones on benefits make no real difference too. But if you take out the public sector workers the majority of people going to work during the worse part of the virus was the lower skilled low paid jobs, shop workers, delivery drivers etc who had more high risk jobs, yet the more so called skilled jobs, admin, solicitors,bankers etc that even if they were at work were less at risk due to the type of work were being paid to sit at home. But even when you look at the shielding category some people have been paid to stay at home whilst others who are only slightly risk, who in reality would be just as likely dying from it if got it, have had to go to work because they didn't get a letter. 

Becles

sharpe106 said:

 But even when you look at the shielding category some people have been paid to stay at home whilst others who are only slightly risk, who in reality would be just as likely dying from it if got it, have had to go to work because they didn't get a letter. 

I got a letter but my employer refused furlough so I've had to go back to work.

I don't understand why I've been identified as high risk but I don't get paid if I stop off, but healthy people in other jobs are being paid furlough to stay at home.

sharpe106

Becles said:

sharpe106 said:

 But even when you look at the shielding category some people have been paid to stay at home whilst others who are only slightly risk, who in reality would be just as likely dying from it if got it, have had to go to work because they didn't get a letter. 

I got a letter but my employer refused furlough so I've had to go back to work.

I don't understand why I've been identified as high risk but I don't get paid if I stop off, but healthy people in other jobs are being paid furlough to stay at home.

If you got the letter and you want to shield you are eligible for SSP, the scheme was meant to protect jobs,not people, but the government changed its mind pretty quickly but did not really change of the criteria to match it. 

Becles

sharpe106 said:

Becles said:

sharpe106 said:

 But even when you look at the shielding category some people have been paid to stay at home whilst others who are only slightly risk, who in reality would be just as likely dying from it if got it, have had to go to work because they didn't get a letter. 

I got a letter but my employer refused furlough so I've had to go back to work.

I don't understand why I've been identified as high risk but I don't get paid if I stop off, but healthy people in other jobs are being paid furlough to stay at home.

If you got the letter and you want to shield you are eligible for SSP, the scheme was meant to protect jobs,not people, but the government changed its mind pretty quickly but did not really change of the criteria to match it. 

Unfortunately benefits is a lot less than my wages 

It just pees me off when Boris stands up and pronounces nobody should be penalised for doing the right thing, yet they never put anything in place to ensure those shielding were able to continue to receive their wages (or 80% of them).

TripleH

It surprises me that we as an Island are so badly effected when other Islands around the world are less so. I gave an office job and have bern lucky enough to be able to work from home. I am lucky, I live in a 2 bed flat but I have light and mental space. If I had lived in my old flat (which was bigger but darker) I doubt I would have fared so well.
I know of people on their own in massive houses which might seem wonderful, but remember a big empty cell is still as much a prison as a small crowded one.

[Deleted User]

I think the whole coronavirus thing has been a huge learning experience..,, unfortunately much of it negative.  Scientists are as biased as any person on the street, and can be just as wrong, politicians are irresponsible but able to tell us what to do (which is not what they do) because we elected them.  And the term 'headless chicken' comes to mind along with the word 'Minister'.  It has really brought home to me how removed from reality they are.  Tell us what we should be doing to keep safe and but the arrangements to make this work just aren't there.  Then enormous pressure to send kids back to school, completely forgetting that schools don't have the space to do the required social distancing.  And that's just to start. I'd like to be able to say one thing they did right.., I can't find anything.

penners324

Shouldn't you be slating your employer for refusing you furlough?