Who works How long ?

Times of India [ 14 April,2011 ] reports following findings of a survey carried out by Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development ( OECD ) :

Total average daily work-times [ paid + unpaid work ] of people in different countries are :

>    Mexico    ….    594   Minutes

>    Japan     ….     540      “

>    China     …..    504      “

>    New Zealand   498      “

>    USA     …….     496      “

>    India    …….     486      “

>    Korea    ……     484      “

>    Australia   …    481      “

>    Italy      …….    474      “

>    UK       ……..    473      “

>    Finland     …    451     “

>    France   ……     448      “

>    Germany  …     445      “

>    Belgium   ….     427      “

Now, OECD defines “ Unpaid Work “ as Cooking, Cleaning, Shopping etc.

I have no idea how OECD defines the following works carried out by the Indian Legislators [ MP + MLA ], day-in and day-out :

Ø  Speaking at Seminars / Functions ( topics are irrelevant )

Ø  Inaugurating road-signs / park benches / toilet blocks

Ø  Leading protest processions, after alerting TV Channels

Ø  Waiting at airports to receive ministers ( especially foreign )

Ø  Garlanding statues / photos of heroes ( Who was he ? )

Ø  Joining Parliamentary Delegation to Libya to study the functioning of its vibrant democratic institutions

How can you expect them to study the Lokpal Bill ? But then voting does not require studying !

With regards

Hemen  Parekh

Wanted – a thousand Anna Hazares !

Not for fasting unto death but to live long and to fight unto death.

For fighting to liberate 50 / 100 million children working as bonded labor / slave workers in India’s factories and homes.

Home to the largest child labor workforce in the world, India has enough laws to prevent and regulate child labor.

What India needs are a thousand, self-appointed, Bal-Pals ( Child-Protectors ).

2011 census revealed that India has 159 million children in 0-6 year age group.

We must ensure that some of them don’t end up working for 12 hours / day , 7 days a week, for a few pieces of bread and a factory-floor to sleep on !

How many Moins must die before things will change ?

With regards

hemen  parekh

Domestic Workers - Use and Abuse

As per official estimates, some 4.75 million workers are employed in India, as domestic workers.

But some NGO estimates that this figure is more like 20 % of total Indian workforce. If true, that would number over 100 million .

Recently, under ILO ( International Labor Organization ), India and many other countries signed a convention to improve the lives of such domestic workers.

The Convention covers  :

Ø            Minimum wages payable

Ø            Working hours

Ø            Weekly rest day

Ø            Overtime wages

Ø            Terms of employment

Ø            Social security

Ø            Maternity protection

Ø            Regulation of private employment agencies

Ø            Complaint investigation

Ø            Special measures for migrant workers    etc.

Ravi Wig, president of Employers Federation of India, voted against the convention in Geneva, saying :

“ I think, the first requirement is employment generation in a country where 25 crore ( 250 million ) people are unemployed. The best social security is to give a man, a job. “

( as reported in Times of India / June 27, 2011 )

Baijnath Rai, general secretary of the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, who was the Indian representative of workers at Geneva, says :

“  Even if the government ratifies the convention fast, it would take the law at least one-and-half year to come into effect. Just think, of the 188 conventions that India has ratified, it has implemented only 43 so far. “

At this rate, domestic workers in India may not see much difference in their lot for the next few decades !

With regards

hemen  parekh 

Innovative Bangladesh

As per finance ministry of Bangladesh, its citizens have hidden / stashed away, some $ 110 billion worth of black money.

That nearly equals 80 % of country’s GDP.

How to bring this black money into the mainstream economy and put it to productive use ?

With that objective in mind, Bangladesh parliament just passed a new law that would enable tax-evaders to invest such monies into local stocks / shares officially.

All they need to do is to pay 10 % of invested monies as tax.

And no questions asked as to the source of their funds !

While grappling with the monster of black money, it is a “ no holds barred “, as far as Bangladesh is concerned.

May be Indian parliamentarians can learn a lesson from their innovative neighbors !

With regards

hemen  parekh

UNITED STATES OF UNEMPLOYED - USU ?

8 July 2011

UNITED  STATES  OF  UNEMPLOYED -  USU  ?

In “ Mint “ [ June 25, 2011 ], Liz Mathew and Ruhi Tewari, present following findings from the 66th round of NSSO [ National Sample Survey Office - India ] survey  :

 Ø            Number of Jobs generated

 #   Between 1999-2000  to  2004 / 05  ……..  62  Million

#   Between 2004 /05     to  2009 / 10  ……..    2  Million

 Ø            Growth in Employment Rate

 #   2004 / 05  ……………………………………………………42 %

#   2009 / 10   …………………………………………………..39.2 %

  Ø    Addition to workforce ( 2004 to 2009 ) …………..55  Million

  Conclusion ?

Since only 2 million Indians could get jobs out of 55 million added to the workforce , 53 million joined the ranks of  “ Un-Employed “ in 5 years between 2004 / 5  to  2009 / 10.

 It would be a safe guess to say that another 53 million will join this “ Army of Jobless ” in the next 5 years , ending with 2014.

When it starts marching, no border will be able to stop this army!

Let no one doubt that India is on its way to become another United States – a  “ United States of Unemployed – USU “ !

With regards

HEMEN  PAREKH