Dear Editor,
I have been reading of things like BPO, Marudi Mining, scheduled rains, security contract and alleged payoffs and seven percent minimum raise. As a student/trainer in IR matters, I recall discussions about reading the newspapers to see daily instances of challenges. I also recall my father in the fifties decade, doing shovel man and cutlass weeding contracting with Capoey Supt of Works. One fixture was the Fair Wages Book. Recall there was no NIS yet. There was no Dr. Nicholson basket of minimum goods to maintain a theoretical family. I think the minimum wage then was $2.04 per day (My first full time job in 1956 start pay was $48.00 per month.)
So when my father wanted more disbursement, the Overseer looked over work completed, and we took the fair wage book to the office to be examined. If he wanted to bid for new contracts, we submitted forms and the book, before getting new contracts. Fast forward to today. We have computers and apps and the like. We also have minimum international and local standards to follow. Can not the three actors in the IR system get together and set minimum industry work standards? Cannot these standards be reduced to industry handbooks? Cannot these handbooks form a required part of any of those matters like in the first para and be a part of the signed contract? Whether we have Worker Participation or Trade Union of Staff Association, a copy will be available for each worker as a Handbook. Whether in the library or what can be decided.
I expect then to see that individual workers in certain jobs like Security to get safety equipment like long boots and raincoats, for a three month cycle. OSH inspectors then have a standard to judge. Imagine what $200,000 per month could provide security guards improvement. I expect to see the BPO workers to know what they can expect as pay and conditions of work. Labour Officers have a standard to judge by. These are by no means unfair expectations. And, if a company fails to follow the minimum standards, then no new contract, as they did my father, over seventy years ago. Back to the basics.
Sincerely
L. A. Camacho
