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Momodou
Denmark
11733 Posts |
 Posted - 31 Dec 2006 : 20:04:49
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WORKERS’ REACTION TO THE 2007 BUDGET
NO CONSIDERATION FOR THE HIGH COST OF LIVING OF GAMBIANS!!
BY Pa Momodou K.B. Faal
Over two decades of Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) in The Gambia did not yield any significant dividend.
Gambia’s Gross National Product (GNP) per head is still below US $300; one out of every three Gambians is absolutely poor. Inflation is still high; our current account deficits are widening and standards of living for the majority of the Gambian population is very low, even by African standards.
As indicated earlier, the reasons for the poor results of the Adjustment Programme in terms of Human Development can be attributed to its over-emphasis on increased output. We did not dispute the need for economic growth as one of the key conditions for high standards of living. We accept the fact that capital formulation and wealth creation are the bedrock of economic, social, political and cultural development. What has been tested and proven to be untrue is the “trickle down” theory with its naïve assumption that the benefits of economic growth will automatically trickle down from those who are active participants in the economic processes to the poor, the under privileged, the aged, the vulnerable and people with disabilities. As pointed out earlier, we are not only interested in increased output (increase in GDP per capita), per se but, we are, as Organised Labour equality concerned about the process of achieving the increased output and the proportion of the population who have the opportunity to better their own lives and the lives of other people, in the process of contributing to the increased output. For instance, increased output, obtained from “sweat Shops” and under inhuman working conditions is not acceptable to us, “Organised Labour.” By the same token, we do not accept increased output if the activities that yield the output pollute our air and source of water or depletes our forest and natural vegetation or threaten the very lives we seek to protect through economic growth. The process can duly be sustainable only if it provides opportunities for the expansion of peoples’ capabilities to contribute meaningfully to the process and at the same time ensure clean environment.
- Ensure a clean and safe national habitat for the entire population;
- Reduce the debt burden;
- Promote economic independence; and
- Promote efficient use and allocation of human and natural resources.
In particular, we shall support all macro-economic policies that aim at controlling inflation, stabilizing the value of our national currency, maintaining interest rates at levels that encourage investment particularly in the agricultural sector which provides employment and income for over 75% of the population, food security for the entire nation and, ultimately, guarantees economic growth, prosperity and satisfying lives for the majority of Gambians.
Recommended Strategies For Achieving Economic Growth And High Standard Of Living
As a means of achieving high and sustainable growth and high standard of living for the Gambian people, the GWC recommended the following:
- Involving all stakeholders in the economic decision making process both at the national and enterprise levels. It is by this environmentally friendly and particular growth process that we can ensure a fair distribution of the accrued benefits without having to adopt cohesive measures to redistribute the benefits since every-body in the country would increase output, be they women, men, disabled or aged.
As the saying goes (you cannot make lasting wealth without workers; you cannot make democracy without free trade unions.)
We shall therefore promote, support and, in appropriate circumstances, initiate efforts and policies that are geared towards sustainable creation of wealth, provided that such policies:-
- Offer equal opportunities for every citizen (men and women) to participate in the wealth creation process (through the generation of productive and decent jobs) in a humane working environment where workers and trade union rights are respected.
- Lead to adequate incomes that are equitably distributed through equitable and efficient tax system.
- Increase productivity through the creation of humane working conditions particularly with regard to payment systems, income levels, fair income distribution, occupational health and safety as well as compensation for injury.
- Encouraging Employees Share Ownership Plans (ESCOPS) to ensure loyalty of workers to their companies.
- Reduce mass retrenchment of workers especially civil servants in the absence of representation to be defended.
- Develop skills of both the workforce and potential workforce (The youth or young workers).
- Create special opportunities for groups (women, youth, physically and mentally handicapped, etc) and individuals if necessary to enable them contribute meaningfully to the economic development process.
- Avoid privatization of state-owned enterprises based on ideological considerations;
- Promote workers management buy-outs as a means of stable and sustainable investment in the country with financial and technical support to local enterprises;
- Increasing government expenditure or social and economic infrastructure agreed as priorities by all stakeholders in the economy to facilitate private investment.
- Regional economic integration (monetary union, free trade area and Pan Africanism in all spheres of our economic, social and political lives as African people).
- Encourage and support freedom of association (including trade unions and employers’ organisations) and promoting social dialogue (Tripartism) and (bipartism) through legislation and institutionalization.
- Increase budget allocation for agricultural sector (the backbone of the economy) in the form of subsidies, loans and grants to individual farmers and corporations; and investment in facilities that will ensure national food security and decent incomes for farmers who are in the majority;
- Development of efficient and effective financial intermediation (banking insurance, stock markets etc);
- Avoid diverting utilities based on profit and other financial considerations but encourage provisions of utilities by private companies to supplement the existing public ones e.g. ‘NAWEC’ and to
- Create a national employment policy with standards.
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No. 117/2006, 29 Dec 2006 - 02 Jan 2007
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Santanfara
3460 Posts |
Posted - 31 Dec 2006 : 23:25:02
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there reaction was long over due. it remind's me of an employee of sonkojeleng. this man was a staucnh aprc .he has one major liking ,that is bread fill with beans and meat. so every morning this man most buy this for breakfast. my friend who use to manage sonkojeleng always ask him why do you love aprc so much ? this man will come on with all praises for mighty yaya.
but every morning the price of the bread with beans and meat rise -up a couple of dalasis. he will say bahana (its ok) untill the prise which was from five dalasis went upto twenty five .the morning the lady told him taye unbure be twenty five lay-ah (the bread and the things is twenty the five dalasis ) ,the man exclaim .he said ''nah undonkoe bye politics ''( let the amatures hand over government ).he became an instant ant- aprc.
the gambian situation is untill the hardship hits me am fine.
the man cannot afford twenty five dalais every morning so he change ,human nature.
similarly a friend of mine call landing was very anti-aprc untill he got a job under a world bank contract under the central bank.he change so quickly i was shocked. so our selfishness is the reason for yaya's prolonging in power. |
Surah- Ar-Rum 30-22
"And among His signs is the creation of heavens and the earth, and the difference of your languages and colours. verily, in that are indeed signs for men of sound knowledge." Qu'ran
www.suntoumana.blogspot.com |
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Santanfara
3460 Posts |
Posted - 31 Dec 2006 : 23:25:02
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there reaction was long over due. it remind's me of an employee of sonkojeleng. this man was a staucnh aprc .he has one major liking ,that is bread fill with beans and meat. so every morning this man most buy this for breakfast. my friend who use to manage sonkojeleng always ask him why do you love aprc so much ? this man will come on with all praises for mighty yaya.
but every morning the price of the bread with beans and meat rise -up a couple of dalasis. he will say bahana (its ok) untill the prise which was from five dalasis went upto twenty five .the morning the lady told him taye unbure be twenty five lay-ah (the bread and the things is twenty the five dalasis ) ,the man exclaim .he said ''nah undonkoe bye politics ''( let the amatures hand over government ).he became an instant ant- aprc.
the gambian situation is untill the hardship hits me am fine.
the man cannot afford twenty five dalais every morning so he change ,human nature.
similarly a friend of mine call landing was very anti-aprc untill he got a job under a world bank contract under the central bank.he change so quickly i was shocked. so our selfishness is the reason for yaya's prolonging in power. |
Surah- Ar-Rum 30-22
"And among His signs is the creation of heavens and the earth, and the difference of your languages and colours. verily, in that are indeed signs for men of sound knowledge." Qu'ran
www.suntoumana.blogspot.com |
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