A recent discussion with someone employed in the technology industry reminded me of that period that is so often referred to as "the good old days." Which is not to say that there have ever really been any good old days that were actually all good at the time. Not to forget, either, that today will, at some point, join the list of good old days. For all that I listened to the person and recalled my mother berating my father for not changing jobs when he did not get a promised raise, or when the promotion he had thought might becoming his way never became reality. My mother would accuse him of being despondent but neglecting his duty to earn more and reach the executive level that she had decided should be his for the asking. The arguments became largely one sided as the years passed. My father would shrug, make a short statement and then let my mother rant. And rant. And rant. And ... pause for breath ... rant again. I always swore that if I ever lived with a man, married him or was even just a good friend I would not, ever, demand that he ask for raises, demand promotions and harangue him for not doing so. If I wanted wealth- I would earn it. If I wanted to be a CEO I would climb the corporate ladder for myself. If I would clout ... well I would use my skills and talents to get it.
My father's reaction to these loud and aggressive discourses by my mother was interesting. He would defend his employer, at least most of the time. He liked his job. He was good at it. It offered him travel opportunities. It paid well. There was a degree of job security. Pensions were paid anywhere in the world, they kept pace with the increase in the cost of living and medical care was offered. Yes some days he loathed his job. I am sure that many days he did not want to get up and go into the office. I know that towards the end of his career he had regrets. There were mean bosses, stupid bosses, along with the good ones. Yet overall he felt that when he left he had far fewer regrets than reasons to reflect on a good career in an industry in which he had enjoyed working. The head honcho knew who he was and would chat with him in passing. They lunched together several times a year and whilst never friends they had a decent working relationship.
Speed ahead thirty plus years.
The decades have passed and business has changed. Trying to ensure that a company keeps their staff happy and satisfied with their jobs is no longer the role of human resources. The task for that department is now to file warnings, declare someone "laid off" (sic), note each and any infringement of regulations and find multiple ways to demand more and more work from employees. Go to HR to discuss one's boss is the same as going to WalMart to purchase an automatic rifle with which you are going to shot yourself in the foot - at least once. In fact you might as well go to the nearest major highway and lie down in it because you are basically committing workplace suicide. HR does not care about you. You are? Which department? How do you spell that? Let me take a look at your productivity ... aha you went on vacation for 2 weeks in April. Let me see ... oh and asked for time off to attend a funeral. And how is your daughter doing? I see she was ill and you needed to be with her for five days. And so on.
Some countries still believe that employees offer companies skills, talents and years of their labour for which there should be a fair return by the company. Governments actually encourage mothers, and fathers, to take care of infants thereby reducing the cost of such care for the tax payers. Some governments offer protection to their workers but from I hear and read that is decreasing as cheap, educated labour is available in China, India and elsewhere. Why bother with satisfying your workers when you can so easily go to India where workers come and go, you have no social responsibility to anyone and your bottom line thrills your share holders?
So Worker Number 342S-45P-4589 you can go away. Leave your computer and all company belongings and leave the building within half an hour. Here is two weeks severance pay. What ... you need medical coverage? You need a pay cheque? Well then Worker Number 342S-45P-4589 stay away from HR and, if I may add, make sure that you work eighteen hour days, do not take vacations longer than a week, miss all funerals other than your own of course, do not get ill, and remember that once you are sixty five years old what ever God you believe in is the only 'person' who is going to help you. Oh you want to take back your complaints about your rude, belittling, demeaning, unproductive boss? Well now are you going to take a shot at your other foot or do you feel hobbled enough?
I do not believe that people should keep their jobs if they are not deserving of them. What I do believe is that if you keep cutting your own nation's workers off from gainful employment you are going to have to accept the consequences. That is assuming that you, living in your palace somewhere in Seattle, you in your tax haven, care for a nanosecond about what happens beyond the palace walls. From what I understand the joy of opening offices and factories in China and India, Brazil and elsewhere is that the governments all agree that the workers are disposable robots and that as long as they are well feed (the wealth I mean) and content the workers are of no concern. So they can no longer afford to buy you products ... sell them elsewhere. They can not afford single family homes? Build high-rise apartment blocks with a basketball court and "community center" where they can live closer to work so you can pay them less because they no longer need to travel far to work. Under educate their children so that they can take lower paid jobs and not complain because they do not have skills to sell. Feed them from WalMart et al, where the employees all to often are so badly paid that they have to use food stamps to feed their families even though they work long hours, and let them buy the poorly made linen etc.
Yes we have all heard and read these sorts of arguments but where and how do we demand changes? Can we? Do we dare? Do I dare?
I just think that we all need to use what ever economic and social power we have to start demanding small, non-cosmetic, changes so that our children and their children do not become the serfs that our great-great-great-great-great (etc) parents were. My ancestors did not stand back and allow the lords of the day to do exactly what they wanted. And neither should I. If it had not been for those sensible and level headed thinking people of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries who started the processes by which laws changed and kings became accountable and governments truly representative I would never have received the education I have and most certainly never been able to improve my life. I would hate to be a witness to the demise of all that those people worked for simply because I cannot risk taking a stand on any issue other than the most innocuous.
The hobby horse is neighing and claiming that the weight on its back has become far to heavy and earnest so I shall stop here.
Next time I shall take you away from the serious to a land where he didn't want Baby to go ... Because once you've been to New Orleans .... it becomes all about Mint Juleps and Mojitos and dancing till dawn even if there is no music playing!
No comments:
Post a Comment