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As A Matter of Fact: Is the light at the end of the tunnel dimming?
3/13/2010
By David 'Joey' Harper
I had a thought-provoking encounter with a young man whom I met while transacting business in Christ Church. Our conversation led to the recent Cabinet reshuffle and he made an interesting remark, which initially took me off guard. He posed this question to me: “Sir, how come in this democratic system employers work for less than their employees?” I must admit that I did not immediately understand the question, so I asked for an explanation and he gave it. “How come” he asked, “do politicians who we employ decide their own salaries, cannot be fired immediately if they are doing a job they are not qualified for, and in almost every case earn bigger salaries than us the employer?”
We talked for a little while and then he said, “It seems that you do not have a politically correct answer, sir.” I promised that I would pose his question in my column.
His parting shot was, “What about wage freezes – will it embrace all or will the warmth only embrace a few, while at the bottom the employers may need expensive winter coats to weather the freeze?”
Another eye-opening remark occurred on Thursday while I waited to do my bit on a radio show. I listened and burst into intense laughter when I heard Junior Jordan give what he termed was a thought to be pondered on by economists, accountants and economic decision-makers. Taking the current economic constraints that we are facing – water woes, high cost of electricity and escalating food prices – into consideration, he gave the following warning: “Due to the current economic recession, it may be necessary to turn of the light at the end of the tunnel”.
Yes I laughed, and loudly, but on settling back in my chair, the thought came to me, “Joey, do you understand the depth of this statement?” In some of our lives the only thing that keeps us going is the distant light at the end of the tunnel of life. Can you imagine what would happen to us if this light was switched off because we cannot afford to pay the bill of hope? The social trauma that would develop? The loss of desire to achieve, the removal of ambition and the shelving of the fighting spirit that keeps us, even under the most adverse conditions, believing that things will get better? The light that allows Barbadian and visitor alike to remark on the good sense of Barbadians prevailing even under trying conditions. On truly meditating on Junior’s comment, I stopped laughing and shivered a bit at the cold sensation that crawled slowly up my spine.
The prolonged recession is deepening the financial burden for some of the country’s most vulnerable families. For example, caregivers of persons with disabilities are experiencing extreme difficulties in accessing affordable health care for their wards. The current recession makes the situation for families much worse. We must consider what families are forgoing if they are spending such a high proportion of their income on their children – abled or disabled.
Many are struggling to pay for food and housing. With the country cutting its social services programmes – because of the tremendous strain they are placing on the economy – to make up for the all-embracing strain that face shortfalls nation-wide, families that are raising children with disabilities are probably facing much greater burdens under these circumstances.
Social services costs are rising at a startling level; unemployment statistics are increasing at an alarming rate, even though the powers that be try to cover the reality with unbelievable statistics. The truth is that as we walk the streets people are expressing themselves openly about the hardships they are encountering. The light at the end of the tunnel is shimmering and with it the hopes of the masses are being put under tremendous strain; they can no longer support each other emotionally simply because they no longer know what to say to instil comfort.
The question which I opened this article with has come back to me and the sincerity with which the young man spoke sticks in my mind. The youth are asking serious questions and I wonder what effect these questions will have on the future of Barbados and the way we do political business. In bandying the question around among adults and youth, the answers ranged from the fact that people with no qualifications to do the job are employed to deal with specialist matters, matters that are crucial to every member of the society yet function on a hit and miss basis, hoping that they may, by the Grace of God, come up with a workable solution.
I have no doubt that the hearts of those mandated to do the job have their hearts and minds in the right place, but the young man’s question remains one to be pondered on – where in any business does the employees’ rights and wages supersede those of the employer?
As promised, young man, I have asked the question; we can only await the answer.
Perhaps I will end with a quote from another young man, Rawden “Rawdi” Adams. He stated: “You can take a politician to Parliament but you cannot make him think.” This truly is another point to ponder.
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