Mutating Corona Virus

[unclebulgaria67]

SERCO seem to be a default company that Government use to perform contact centre type tasks. So any department faced with a problem, say a sudden increase in incoming phone calls, which they cannot handle, because they are dealing with more immediate issues such as making payments to the public, may in the short term involve SERCO.

 

SERCO seem to employ a lot of security cleared, DBS checked, financial checked etc employees, so they seem to be equipped and ready to manage tasks on behalf of Government departments.

 

No idea just how much work SERCO does on behalf of Government, but I should imagine it makes up a sizeable chunk of their business.

 

Public Health departments may want to perform the work themselves, but given the number of employees required, the recruitment process involved, the hours of work 24/7 and just how quick they need to be set up to perform the work, I question whether they are better placed to do so.

 

I would always prefer public sector employees over outsourced contracts, but I can understand why Government uses companies such as SERCO. 

[tobyjugg2]

2 hours ago, unclebulgaria67 said:

SERCO seem to be a default company that Government use to perform contact centre type tasks. So any department faced with a problem, say a sudden increase in incoming phone calls, which they cannot handle, because they are dealing with more immediate issues such as making payments to the public, may in the short term involve SERCO.

 

 

you would think that given that 'experience they would be better at it

You would also think that given the poor experience we always get from them, someone else would get the work

[brassnecked]

If not serco it would have been G4S or capita, they don't  seem to look beyond those choices ever.

[honeybee13]

That's what gets me, BN, unless these three companies have a monopoly between them.

 

At least two of them have been fined or had financial penalties for messing up, haven't they? And yet they still get the next job, possibly with no tendering in the current climate.

[unclebulgaria67]

Not a fan of outsourcing in general, as I think control is lost.  And the companies used, can have problems meeting the standards required, as HB states above. 

 

But I can see why it is attractive, as then Government department or principal company does not have additional staff with pensions and all of the other costs.   If you needed say 200 staff to cover work that would last a year, it can make sense to outsource the work, depending on what is required.

 

 

[brassnecked]

Same reason Councils like to use Agency workers at sharp end.

[honeybee13]

I'm not sure who uncovered this but it's yet another example of 'One rule for the plebs'. ..

 

They were going to quietly leave bars in Parliament open after 10pm because they're classed as workplace canteens, I read. Now they're supposed to be doing the same as the rest of the population and closing at 10.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/sep/28/parliament-bars-not-serve-alcohol-after-10pm-commons-confirms-covid

[tobyjugg2]

it would seem NONE of the new rules applying to everyone else applies there

 

"As well as being free to remain open beyond 10pm, the new, stricter rules regarding wearing face coverings and customers checking in at venues will also not apply to parliamentary bars, according to a report in The Times."

 

So no tracing if one tests positive either..

[honeybee13]

It goes on and on.

 

Did the bars staying open even hold water? This is in the article you linked to. My bolding.

The regulations announced by Boris Johnson last Thursday state that “workplace canteens may remain open where there is no practical alternative for staff at that workplace to obtain food”.

[tobyjugg2]

even aside from the mixing in the tax payer subsidised bars they absolutely ALL SHOULD have the the covid app installed and running when they are in Parliament or anywhere ..

 

Its called setting an example ... whether they do or don't just defines whether its a good example or NOT

Edited September 28, 2020 by tobyjugg2

[cjcregg]

1 hour ago, honeybee13 said:

 

 

They were going to quietly leave bars in Parliament open after 10pm 

 

 

I can't read the piece, who are ''they''?

 

Also the bars have been closed since March apparently so how could they ''leave'' them open after 10pm?

[honeybee13]

Sorry about the link. by 'they' I meant MPs or the Parliamentary authorities. I believe several of the bars or restaurants reopened over the last few months.

[brassnecked]

They would be the people in charge of the parliament buildings and catering facilities

[honeybee13]

More details from the Guardian.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/sep/28/parliament-bars-not-serve-alcohol-after-10pm-commons-confirms-covid

[cjcregg]

25 minutes ago, honeybee13 said:

Sorry about the link. by 'they' I meant MPs or the Parliamentary authorities. I believe several of the bars or restaurants reopened over the last few months.

 

It was MPs who successfully argued they shouldn't open, how can that be ''them''?

 

So it's bars OR restaurants now then is it? Funny, you'd only mentioned bars before. 

 

Not sure when this was but all bars were closed in March  https://www.parliament.uk/site-information/foi/foi-and-eir/commons-foi-disclosures/catering-services-retail/closure-of-facilities-2020/

[honeybee13]

Not sure when this was but all bars were closed in

 

Yes but then some of them reopened, as per the Guardian article I linked to. The rest of the information is in the link that TJ posted.

[cjcregg]

13 minutes ago, honeybee13 said:

Not sure when this was but all bars were closed in

 

Yes but then some of them reopened, as per the Guardian article I linked to. The rest of the information is in the link that TJ posted.

 

I don't see his posts thanks to CAG's excellent ignore function.

 

So given MPs never wanted them open after 10pm, what's your 'plebs' beef? I don't get it.

[honeybee13]

The Times, which isn't exactly anti-government, is saying that closing bars in parliament at 10pm is a climb down and it looks as if it was only done because the Times revealed it.

[cjcregg]

A climb down from what? It was wasn't the Government or MPs that exempted Parliamentary bars from the 10pm rule.

 

Let me ask again, who is your beef with exactly?

[brassnecked]

Think I will ignore myself from this thread

[tobyjugg2]

Apparently even Tory backbench MPs are going berserk about 'dogs law' edicts with no discussion,

like 'fines if music is higher than xx decibels as it might encourage people to dance' but live events (and presumably grouse shooting - unless they are issuing silencers)

I kid you not.

 

Handcock pulled up by the ex chief whip with Handock saying they have to move fast ... ... to limit the volume of music ... in case it encourages people to dance

Johnson and Handcock get crazier by the minute

 

Wonder if that was applied to the subsidised parliamentary bars?

What do we think?

a) Unlikely

b) Not a F****** chance

 

 

and shills claiming the rules are stable and reasonable  ...

Nothing 'stable about them at all

Bonkers

 

 

Edited September 28, 2020 by tobyjugg2

[tobyjugg2]

Adding to the madness, its now being 'presented' (if you actually read the case) that testing children is a mistake, because testing and finding them positive and isolating them is affecting their schooling

 

.. So not how do we keep the kids and their families safe while continuing to educate them ...

.. just stop testing them and theres no 'excuse/reason' to isolate them and take them out of school

 

That has got to be the biggest pile of crap I've seen even amongst the Cowpat-fest 'justifications of johnson +handcocks rampant mismanagement.

 

Prof Russell Viner of UCL and Great Ormond Street children’s hospital

"“I think we have a coherent policy about testing in schools, but we are probably being overcautious and testing too many children,” said Viner. “It was the right thing to start with, but it has had some unintended consequences."

 

“The key thing about this research is that it supports keeping schools open. "

 

 "as a study shows they are about 40% less likely than adults to be infected."

 

So they are 40% less likely to get it in the same situations.

WELL Maybe - BUT What about in school (think ocean liner) situations

The guy seems a danger to children to me.

 

There should be more testing NOT less - and thats Johnson and Handcock failing.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/sep/27/too-many-children-tested-for-covid-leading-study-schools

 

[honeybee13]

It still seems to miss the point that kids can be asymptomatic carriers of Covid to older and vulnerable people, TJ.

[tobyjugg2]

 

Heres a clarification of the latest headline based on doddo hardings excuses for failings by claiming that that 3-4 times the 'capacity' of the testing system were trying to get a test ...

 

In the last 24 hours there were 4,044 new confirmed positive covid tests

... and at least 750,000 concerned people FAILED TO GET A TEST

 

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/17/demand-for-covid-tests-up-to-three-times-uk-capacity-says-dido-harding

 

Edited September 28, 2020 by tobyjugg2

[brassnecked]

hancocks latest guidance for North East seems to be telling  people in the same households to not mix of course it could be the way he says it.