Covid-19 hits Aberdeen hard

Aberdeen, like everywhere else in Scotland and indeed much of the world, has been hit hard by the current Covid-19 pandemic. 

Public services have come to standstill, shops are closed, and hospitals are becoming overwhelmed without the appropriate amount of protective equipment. 

While these are certainly not unique to the city, certain struggles present themselves to be especially hard on workers and the vulnerable. 

With public services such as libraries and community centres being less available and care homes on lockdown, the elderly struggle to get the social contact they have become used to and many will suffer due to this. 

Libraries also play the role of providing entertainment for people, especially older people and the lack of this could be taxing for them.

Although uncertain, contingencies may be put in place to get books to them, but this is only more uncertainty with the lack of organisation by the council. 

Another central part of the role of libraries is to provide space for job seekers who may not be able to obtain access to the internet and computers at home.

Due to the price-gouging of internet providers and expensive nature of commodities such as computers, it is unfeasible for many jobless people to access at home. 

The lack of public infrastructure due to a lack of funding from the council means that public internet access is limited to only a few areas around the city, which desperately needs expanding. 

Although the DWP have put a hold on the need for job seeking, many will still want to spend time finding work with the low amount of money provided to them by Universal Credit, which they will be unable to do. 

People in work have struggled also. Those in public service have seen a massively delayed response by the council to protect them from the virus. 

Workplaces have not been provided with enough anti-bacterial products for cleaning and are under constant auditing on the number of products they have at work, being asked to send items like toilet paper back if deemed to have ‘too much’. 

Aberdeen City council have gone into a state of limited service, with those who cannot work from home being redeployed into other areas, despite the danger present for them. 

Areas such as cleaning council premises, working in care homes, despite the obvious dangers for residents and call centre work which workers will require additional training for, are all being considered.

Council bosses however have been working from home, with no effort being made to ‘redeploy’ them.

Private companies have proved their uncaring nature for their employees in favour of quick profits. Many workplaces have remained open against advice using the excuse of them being ‘essential’ during the crisis.

Many workplaces are simply laying off workers that are ‘not necessary’ due to departments and shops being closed rather than paying them wages while in lockdown. 

The need for a socialist city council is becoming more evident as this crisis unfolds. Funding for public infrastructure, protection of council workers, protection of workers in the private sector and proper funding for public services are essential for the people of Aberdeen.