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by Prasad Abu Bakr

As much as the masters, the workers at all levels look forward to the festive season as each year comes to a close. Christmas is the biggest commercially viable event that highlights itself on the calendar globally. Earlier, patterns of shopping two weeks ahead of the event has stretched itself to a massive one month period, streets are lit-up, shop windows flaunt an array of goods that can make life worth living, just looking at them and the hold count down begins.

Even though shopping outlets start only a month ahead, production units start even earlier. Workers are warned to keep to deadlines working morning, noon and night. Absence from work due to any reason will be treated with total disdain during this period.

Premini who works at a workshop producing soft toys said that she was sacked from her job, last Christmas, as she had to stay at home to attend to her husband's illness.

The owners concerned, a husband and wife socially well placed, did not even take into consideration that Premini has sent in a telegram stating the reason for her absence right at the beginning of events. "It is only fair to take into consideration my attendance records of the past before they make decisions of this nature" lamented Premini. Today she has to depend on her family (brothers and sisters) to support her sick husband and two children, both who are attending school.

This is not the only incident where one discovers rash attitudes by employers which can lead people such as Premini into gloom. Small outfits such as garment projects working on sub-contract to large scale factories are the worst culprits.

While the owners of these projects spend lavishly on their year end vacation (probably in the winter wonderlands of Europe) workers who have toiled to grant them such opportunities end carrying home a Christmas cake and if luck may permit an extra bit of cash, which the owners see, as a bonanza. It is disheartening to observe how most people ignore the very concepts around which most religious festivities are based upon. The loud message that is looked over is to share these events with your brothers and sisters making it an opportunity to share in others' needs.

What happens mostly is that the sharing happens only amongst the well-to-do. Very few people visit the poorer relations during this festive time, an event which is symbolised by three noble kings visiting the new born baby Jesus in a cattle shed. Today most give priority to their own needs, some which are extravagant, before they can even think deeply through to the message of Christ.

Visiting the needy at homes for the aged, lesser fortunate children in orphanages are important deeds, which have been forgotten about with time.

Likewise looking after your employees becomes your soul responsibility, as they are the back bone of whatever trade you have successfully conducted to achieve glory.

It is indeed pathetic to note how some of these people are treated, besides all the contributions they make to keep deadlines during the hum-drum period.

Some young men working as sales representatives at a cellular phone agency, which is appointed as an agent to a bigger network that import cellular phones who totally depend on sales commissions in addition to the paltry sums they are paid as monthly wages confessed how they were promised a bigger commission during the season last Christmas and was paid handsomely owing to their performance, enabling the company to earn millions in return.

The boys had a merry time that season but immediately during the following month they were penalised heavily, citing false accusations. This made some of them so bitter that they were compelled to leave even though they could not find suitable employment.

It is not an uncommon site to see employees returning home in disappointment on Christmas eve finding that the money they have is not sufficient to cover even their smallest expenses, enabling them to celebrate an event that is supposed to bring equal joy to everybody.

All this, after they have worked one full month, building up hope for their families to celebrate the event that was once considered the holiest of them all in the Christian calendar but has been transformed into a gigantic commercial event the world over.

Whether this kind of adulation will pave the way to widen the gap between the rich and the poor amongst the Christian community is also a plausible question, besides its reputation as a global event, owing to interested traders that have commercialised all events including 'Mothers Day'. Christmas still remains a total Christian entity.

Most faiths believe that one should celebrate and observe religious events within one's monetary means. This is fine, taking into consideration that everything will end well if one lives within ones means, which is a popular notion but looking at the way that some third world entrepreneurs are exploiting this situation to achieve their own goal while totally ignoring the well being of their employees goes against all norms.

A lot of irregularities are taking place in the name of religious events and Christmas stands no chance in being 'used' differently, mainly by enterprises that are servicing and merchandising the event.

Let's not make the meaning of this blessed event lose its glory and the tinsel and the glitter reduced to represent a mere facade, concealing behind it emptiness, disappointment and mistrust. Helping others for instance your employees to achieve the means of being a part of this joyous event, with the same enthusiasm as you would want to share with your own family, will enable you to celebrate a Christmas in all its glory.

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