Thursday 25 June 2020

Our New First Class Citizens..?

I got an email from O2 about the reopening of their shops last week.

Amongst the usual 'social distancing' and 'wash your hands' crap that's ubiquitous now, I noticed something else:

And - three months in to the Coronavirus lockdown - I begin to wonder how much longer everyone else is to be treated as a second-class citizen? Because it's not just O2 - NHS and care workers get special dispensation in supermarkets, and even discounts in some (Morrison's for example).

I could understand the initial reason for this when panic buying set in, and we had that nurse blubbering on YouTube that she couldn't get shopping because the shelves had been emptied. But the shelves have been stocked properly for the last month and a half.

So why - now that the need is no longer there - do these concessions still persist?

8 comments:

Feral said...

I was just this morning talking about this to a friend. Now that things are getting as normal as can be, letting some people in shops before others should stop. Although the majority of us appreciate what the NHS workers do, we cannot give them special treatment status indefinitely. It's like you said, shops are stocked up and there is no need to stockpile items. The elderly and disabled people have to queue up so it's time to stop hero worshipping the NHS workers. Let's get back to normal as much as possible.

staybryte said...

So, a climate change/diversity and inclusion manger who "works" from home in our beloved Enaychess for a measly £70,000 a year gets priority over a widow who cares for a disabled grown up son or daughter? Nice.

Doonhamer said...

So those "managers" who organised this fiasco, could not maintain stocks of normal ppe, can't provide infection free wards and kept all other sick people away from hospitals will be in there in advance of anybody while the medical staff are on duty in empty wards.

MTG said...

Mr Plod moved smartly off his knees to scarper when those new, 1st class folk of no particular description, started their Brixton Street Party.

One can only hope that Jaded's knees were in better condition than her van panels and windscreen this morning.

AndrewWS said...

My prediction is that, later in the year, a lot of these "key workers" are going to claim their rights as "first class citizens" by claiming more appreciation in the form of higher salaries, and will go on strike to get it.

Anonymous said...

Surely "freebies" or discounts could be classed as "payment in kind" and thus be a taxable source of income ?

Longrider said...

Bring back the Zil Lanes. Such a good idea.

JuliaM said...

"... it's time to stop hero worshipping the NHS workers. Let's get back to normal as much as possible."

I suspect no-one wants to be the first supermarket to stop...

"...and will go on strike to get it."

If the NHS 'administrators' go on strike, will we even notice?

"Surely "freebies" or discounts could be classed as "payment in kind" and thus be a taxable source of income ?"

Oooh! Good idea!

"Bring back the Zil Lanes. Such a good idea."

Please don't give them ideas!!!