Friday 7 August 2020

Coronavirus diary, Friday 7 August



'Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho, it's off to work we go!' sang the seven little dwarf characters in the famous Disney film. 

Unfortunately that is not the attitude of most British workers.
Despite government pleas to go to work millions have decided to stay at home 

Among the reasons - working conditions may not be safe, as with travelling by bus and train, and the need to stay home to look after their children.They don't even want to get on  their bikes as suggested.

This reluctance contrasts with other European countries.
In France over 80% are back at their desks, in their factories and in the vineyards.

In Germany and Italy it's over 70% with Britain lagging at 34%.
The government is making matters worse by not forcing its civil servants to show an example; masses of them are still working from home and likely to do so for the rest of the year as decided by other major businesses employing thousands.

Every day companies including cafes and sandwich shops and wine bars are shedding staff by the thousand.

Since May 163,000 jobs have been lost and more will follow.

The full-time return to school next month may give more parents the chance to get back to work but even that is uncertain due to shortage of child care. 

Hence the Bank of England's latest forecast of over the million unemployed and the economy shrinking by nine and a half percent, this year, the worst for one hundred years.

And that is if coronavirus is kept in check, which is unlikely considering  the global picture.

It will need some better news for us to sing a happy 'Heigh Ho' song.

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