Remember Where You Are....
My mantra for living up here.
Yesterday, 4 workers at a local Engineering company went on strike.
4 workers out of a workforce of 200.
Their idea of a strike was to sit outside the company offices, on a planter box, smoking, for about an hour.
No placard, no chanting, no asking the passing-by community to support their ideals.
Now, as an old leftie hippy I completely support their right to strike.
I love to get my "we will not be moved" swerve on.
However, my inner beige to-the-right-of-Ghengis-Khan upbringing was the persona that actually got a run when I heard WHY they were on strike. In a country where the average wage is US$1.19 per hour, and most people still live at subsistence level, these people were on strike because:
THEY DIDN'T WIN ANYTHING IN THE COMPANY XMAS PARTY RAFFLE.
I have it on good authority that everyone in this company, particularly the strikers, recieved gifts in the company-organised Secret Santa. I also know that the strikers attended the company-funded Xmas Party, where they partook in the company-funded luncheon. They also recieved vouchers to the value of K100, from the company as Xmas gifts.
The company, as part of the Xmas Party entertainment provided raffle prizes and the cost to enter the raffle was nil.. everyone got a ticket.
So, again I mention, they were on strike because THEY DIDN'T WIN A PRIZE IN THE XMAS RAFFLE.
I weep for the future of PNG sometimes.
And then I roll me eyes and mutter "RWYA"
My mantra for living up here.
4 workers out of a workforce of 200.
Their idea of a strike was to sit outside the company offices, on a planter box, smoking, for about an hour.
No placard, no chanting, no asking the passing-by community to support their ideals.
Now, as an old leftie hippy I completely support their right to strike.
I love to get my "we will not be moved" swerve on.
However, my inner beige to-the-right-of-Ghengis-Khan upbringing was the persona that actually got a run when I heard WHY they were on strike. In a country where the average wage is US$1.19 per hour, and most people still live at subsistence level, these people were on strike because:
THEY DIDN'T WIN ANYTHING IN THE COMPANY XMAS PARTY RAFFLE.
I have it on good authority that everyone in this company, particularly the strikers, recieved gifts in the company-organised Secret Santa. I also know that the strikers attended the company-funded Xmas Party, where they partook in the company-funded luncheon. They also recieved vouchers to the value of K100, from the company as Xmas gifts.
The company, as part of the Xmas Party entertainment provided raffle prizes and the cost to enter the raffle was nil.. everyone got a ticket.
So, again I mention, they were on strike because THEY DIDN'T WIN A PRIZE IN THE XMAS RAFFLE.
I weep for the future of PNG sometimes.
And then I roll me eyes and mutter "RWYA"
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2 comments:
Maybe they just needed an extra long cigarette break and this was the best excuse they could come up with?
Classic -we laughed out loud on this one.
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