Where there is strong, decisive leadership, there is no need for lots of written laws and rules. You simply do not transgress. The numerous laws passed in this country are a measure of the failure of our politicians to inspire us to do what is right.
Further, even the law-making process seems to be a joke. Legal draftsmen come up with a bill which is to be approved by politicians, most of whom can’t make heads nor tails of the convoluted language. In fact, learned judges are often still trying to decipher how the law should be interpreted many years later.
We simple farmers would suggest simple laws. In my youth, for instance, adults would admonish:
“Boy, don’t frig the hog!” That was all we needed. And a law stating just that would cover stealing, lying, littering, ZR music, driving with those white headlights that blind you at night, bribing voters, taking bribes to award contracts, you name it.
Even worse, laws always seem to have built-in loopholes. And crooks get free on nit-picking technicalities like whether the wording said “will” or “shall”.
Recently I watched a few TV programmes on the Employment Rights Act. And made a mental note: “Never give anyone a job again or you’re dead!” I mean, private sector employees could become as unfireable as Government “workers”.
Then, out of the blue, came the loophole: an efficient, respected Commissioner of Police is put out to pasture with one letter! If I interpret this correctly, workers have bundles of rights; commissioners don’t. So if ever I employ a fellow to sweep down the goat pen, he will be officially titled “Commissioner of Goat Poop”. Simple so.
Worker situations in Barbados run the whole gamut. The higher up you are, the less the job security. Or so it appears to me. Women come back from maternity leave to find they no longer have a job. Many young ladies are pressured to give the boss groceries.
This latter is a difficult area. Some young ladies go for it and get rapid promotion and experience in several different positions. They get overseas trips to shopping centres and even the occasional “scruise”, as such trips on luxury ships are called. Since Bill Clinton multitasked with Monica, “taking dictation” has become a whole new ball game.
Problems do arise, however, if a picky husband or boyfriend calls a halt. Or if a new, hot employee has more attractively displayed groceries. Then you could find yourself out of a job.
At the other end of the spectrum is the Bajan worker, sadly no longer our pride and joy. The last one I had, a real nice guy, divided his time between pulling up his pants and listening to his cellphone. He literally could not put it down. In the end I had to call every day to ask if he was coming to work.
At least he had a pleasant and willing attitude, which is rare nowadays.
One previous fellow would walk past me every morning, ignoring my greeting. Make sure to put “Saying Good Morning” in the job description for your employees as required by the new law. I suspect many people will do without or hire Guyanese.
So we have a law to protect those who, bristling with union protection, often do the minimum and dare you to do something about it. While middle class workers, hamstrung by mortgages and other expenses, are mostly too afraid of losing their jobs to seek help under the act.
I also heard the politicians discussing a family law act, with even more rights for the women. That is all well and good. But what about men’s rights?
Fox News this week listed seven health benefits of men getting regular groceries. These are: (1) Reduces stress and lowers blood pressure; (2) Reduces pain from headaches and arthritis; (3) Frequent groceries – five or more times a week – reduces the risk of prostate cancer and could “save your life”; (4) Boosts your immunity against colds and infections; (5) Improves self-esteem; (6) Helps you sleep better; (7) Groceries just twice a week “fights aging” and “may increase your life expectancy”.
These are life and death issues for men. Surely any family law act should specify the necessity for groceries. Methinks our politicians have failed us badly in this respect.
• Richard Hoad is a farmer and social commentator.
