Giving Front Line Workers the Clap
They are talking about giving Ireland a new extra bank holiday.
This is supposed to be a reward, or thanks to the “Front Line Workers” [a grossly overused and somewhat vague term?] for all their efforts and sacrifices during the Pandanic.
My problem with the term “Front Line Workers” is simple. To twang our heartstrings they generally talk about all the hospital nurses who indeed did take a beating. But then they included nursing home staff which was fair enough. But then all the checkout staff in the shops jumped on the bandwagon and they had a point too? But surely bin-men [sorry – Waste Disposal Operatives], police, bank staff, doctors, vets and anyone else who had to work during the Pandanic have to be included too? Where do you draw the line?
There was a suggestion of giving them some kind of bonus but apparently the cost of that would run into hundreds of millions so that idea was shelved. There was talk of giving them extra time off but I imagine that would be tricky to organise and anyway who would be entitled? So they came up with the idea of a Bank Holiday. Just to add some syrup to the mix they said this holiday could also be in memory of all those who had died.
I’m quite happy with the idea. It wouldn’t cost the gubmint that much but employers aren’t too happy as they’re the ones footing the bill by losing a days productivity. It wouldn’t affect me at all.
But there is a little drop of irony in the idea.
The vast majority of those who are supposed to be grateful for this vote of thanks won’t be able to avail of it. By the nature of things, they are in essential services and would have to work the special day anyway.
Maybe they should just be happy with us all standing in our gardens and giving them a round of applause?
I know how they could thank those of us who never missed a single days work all through and never received a penny extra, just as we’ve done all of our working lives.
Maybe those who received furlough and similar payments could be the ones to pay it back via taxes, and those who didn’t receive it don’t have to foot the bill.
Yeah ok its a bit revolutionary but could such a thing catch on.
Seriously though, i don’t want thanking for doing the job i get paid for, especially false praise encouraged by the chief virtue signallers for a photo op or soundbite, i would like a bit of fairness where those who actually do their bit and pay into the systems get treated fairly in return, never happen.
“Yeah ok its a bit revolutionary but could such a thing catch on.”
Oh hell no, it could never catch on. There is no way to get a sound bite out of that.
The best idea I’ve seen in years. Well done
A bank holiday for the front line workers? As if there aren’t enough “bank holidays already? I’d like to meet those who came up with this idea and ask them specifically how this it’s supposed to benefit these “front line workers in anyway. I’d be interested in they’re reasoning.
A serious proposal I heard yesterday [from an elected representative] –
We should tie the bank holiday to the American Thanksgiving! This apparently would show support for the Irish Diaspora in the States and promote tourism.
Are Americans seriously going to fly over to Ireland for the day?
“Are Americans seriously going to fly over to Ireland for the day?”
If they did, by the time they got through security and covid screening and all that rigmarole they’d probably be just in time to catch their return flight. Holiday in the air?
I would, but your elected representative would have to cover expenses. Naturally your tax dollars would be used for this. I will need directions to the manor.
Not sure about “all the hospital nurses”. Certainly all those that did actually work very hard throughout the pandemic. But those that had time to do those tiktok videos on full pay…
Bank holidays are shite.
Days when just about every worket, except the essentials, are off work, and with their families all heading down the same over congested roads to the same jam packed resort to pay over the odds for food, parking, accomodation. Watching shite TV programmes.
Then the slog home.
One of the few examples of why Scotland is better than England. On bank holudays only the banks are on holuday. And of course those paid by the taxpayer.
The rest of us can take our holiday when most of the rest are working.
You needn’t worry about traffic jams to the beaches on the new “holiday”. They are proposing a mid-Winter break!
Hasn’t the current shambolic breakdown of virtually all services and goods availablitiy from computer chips to housebricks, all the stuff needed for daily life, ably demonstrated that all workers are essential?
Spot on – what it has demonstrated is the integrated nature of the whole economy, where if only one small cog fails, the whole edifice starts to fall apart. We are each, in our different ways, small but vital cogs in that overall machine.
And I’m neither fat enough, nor inclined, to waste my productive time making brain-dead TikTok videos merely to demonstrate to the world what a prat I am.
I have never watched anything on TicTok. YouTube on the other hand provides some entertainment and quite a bit of good information.