The human cost of political trickery
Gogo, our domestic worker, is unhappy - you can see that. The usual smile has gone from her face - all because of a cheap political trick that zanupf played to try and gain votes in the recent (sham of) Parliamentary elections. And she is not alone - hundreds of thousand of workers have been directly and negatively affected by this.
Just before elections, the government rammed through a Statutory Instrument (Domestic Workers: Pay Increases, 2005 (No.2)). This designated about a 900% increase in Domestic Worker’s wages across the board. There was major confusion and panic amongst employers, as many are unable to pay such enormous increases, particularly in the case of pensioners (who depend on these workers to care for them). To add to their dismay, they found that they are also unable to find the money to pay their workers off (legally). They would have to pay a month’s salary for every year worked - in a lot of cases, a quite impossibly enormous figure if the worker had been with them for many years (as is often the case).
But then what about the workers? Their anger and frustration is huge! They were not stupid enough to believe that this was anything more than cheap politicking by a desperate regime. But on the other hand, they are the lowest paid workers in the country. They need increases - but most of know their employers can’t give it to them (not at the new rates). Many won’t give it to them. If the increases had been within reason, there would have been no problems.
But many have already been summarily dismissed, and will have an enormous battle to get what is due to them as retrenchment packages, and there will be little help available from their (totally self-serving) Union or the Ministry of labour, as the backlog of cases will be huge!
The spin-off in other industries is already causing labour unrest, as the increases now put domestic workers earning more than factory and agricultural workers! This is causing huge problems for these industries at a time when they are battling for survival.
And what do the Ministry say? They are obviously confused, as they are unable to issue a firm statement - negotiations WERE under way with the unions, but the matter appears to have been completely taken out of their hands. It is openly rumoured that the planned increases were to be less than half of what was gazetted. To add to the confusion, it appears that this Statutory Instrument is not law yet, even though it has been gazetted. It is said that it was illegally gazetted to get in before the elections. It is understood that the date on the gazette is a public holiday and therefore not possible. Employers are being told to hold back on paying the increases while the matter drags on.
So where does that leave Gogo? Not happy - to be sure.
But you ARE a part of our family Gogo, and our children are your children too - heaven knows, you have brought them up together with us. We might battle to pay you and we may have to cut a deal, but we’re not going to abandon you - certainly not over zanupf and their unfeeling, uncaring tricks!
