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Jobs on merit and competence

Judging by a newsreport which was published by us yesterday, Job Net centres, which would be established in most parts of the country, would ensure that eligibility and competence would be the main criteria in the allocation of jobs for our youth.

Explaining the functions of the Job Net, Labour Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe was quoted saying that the system would facilitate the placing of the most qualified persons at the top of eligibility lists for jobs. Since the job Net would be linked to the global job market, even foreign employment could be channelled through this facility.

The most positive feature of this arrangement, however, is the allocation of jobs on objective criteria, such as educational qualifications and experience. "The Net operates on its own and no Government interference is possible and not intended in our designing," the Labour Minister was quoted as explaining.

Jobs and livelihoods have been at the centre of many a socio-political upheaval in this country and we hope that objective criteria and merit would indeed be the basis of job allocation, particularly among young Lankans.

If the Job Net scheme proves a success it should be expanded to cover the length and breadth of the country to ensure that all regions would be equitably served by it. Indeed, if it is to serve any purpose, the program needs to be insulated from political interference.

Most young persons were introduced to what was termed the Job Bank scheme some years back. This was touted at that time as an ideal scheme for job recruitment. However, the arrangement degenerated into a farce of the cruellest kind when it was found that politicians enjoyed major job allocation powers.

Consequently, the skewed scheme was found to play a principal role in youth frustration and chagrin. That was in the mid and late Eighties - the years the stage was set for the second Southern youth uprising and consequent major bloodletting.

The point in thus going back in time is to emphasize the negative and disruptive role played by unjust systems in the allocation of social goods. It is up to the State to ensure that justice and fairplay would be of pivotal importance in the provision of such goods and resources among the people. An inability to do this would be tantamount to inviting social and political turmoil. We hope projects such as the Job Net scheme would prove ideal foils for these failed schemes of the past.

It would be of interest to remember that the inability to establish fairplay and justice in the provision of jobs and other crucial necessities triggered off the high tide of bloody rebellion in North-East Sri Lanka. We cannot afford to fail in these endeavours once again.

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