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The French President did not give in to the unreasonable demands of
the striking workers and the strike fizzled out. The President has got a
mandate to rule and take the country to prosperity.
To give in to unreasonable demands of the workers just because it is
easier to strike, is a sign of weakness and the strength of the
Government lies in not giving in to demands which are detrimental to the
country in the long run.
No country can socially or economically progress, if the workers are
striking at the drop of a pin.
For instance, the sanitary labourers in Sri Lanka want the Government
to treat them on par with doctors and nurses.
How ridiculous and foolish they are! True, all human beings are
equal, but their jobs and services are not equal. Therefore, the
discipline required of them too, is different.
A hospital labourer can stop his work at 12 noon and go for lunch.
Can a doctor operating on a patient leave him at 12 noon for lunch
and return after 1 1/2 hours like the labourers?
Every strike is against the people. Then only they can succeed.
Therefore, the people hate strikes.
We may remember that once the electrical engineers in the CEB went on
strike and the people turned against them.
It is time to introduce discipline into workplaces and devote
ourselves for development.
Workers have to think only of themselves, but the Government has to
think of the workers, people, country and her future too.
E. M. G. EDIRISINGHE
Dehiwala
Anybody whoever driving along Galle Road from Kalutara South up to
Matara will experience a newly laid ‘carpeted’ roadway. The funny thing
we notice is the new markings of bus stops.
I have been driving along many roads in the country but this is the
only road which has been marked as such. The reservation for the bus
stop is almost in the road centre as explained in the diagram.
This has given bus drivers a wrong impression that they can stop the
bus in the centre of the road for the embarking and disembarking of
passengers. I have observed it has already been in practice and cannot
blame the ignorant driver.
Galle Road is not an expressway and has only one lane per side at
most of the places.
If buses are allowed to halt in the middle of the road, this would
result in a traffic jam. In other countries and even on some of our
roads, bus stops are located away from the main road which will not
disturb other traffic.
The new bus stop markings along the Galle Road should be brought to
the notice of authorities immediately and corrected without any delay.
BANDU GUNARATNE
Nugegoda
A few weeks ago the Association of HR Professionals of Sri Lanka (AHRP)
announced the launch of the ‘HRM Awards 2007 - Super 10’ along with
Hewitt Associates India Office.
This was a different arrangement from what we experienced earlier
which was called ‘National HR Awards’. From the inception, several years
ago this was a joint venture between the two HR organisations in the
country - the Institute of Personnel Management Sri Lanka (IPM) and the
AHRP.
Rather than the National HR Awards (though it was called National it
had no State patronage) it is a better move to call it the Super 10 or
the Top 10 as done in other developed/developing countries.
Bringing in Hewitt the world famous HR Consultancy organisation is a
good move. But for some reason, this time it is noted that the half a
century old HR organisation in the country IPM has been left out
indicating a clear split in organising the HRM awards.
The Sunday press carried a news item that there had been an
‘overwhelming response’ to the HRM Awards this year.
This is a very encouraging move as it indicates the focus and
attention by the business community towards HR Management and
Development in the country. It is also encouraging to read that there
are some public sector organisations among the applicants.
In the past when the HRM Awards were held, there was severe criticism
with regard to the selection of winners.
It must be accepted that the formation of the panel of judges for the
event was not right. The business community and in particular the HR
community in the country lost faith in the awards process as there were
several blunders by the selectors.
It was humiliating as there was clear indication of lack of
professionalism, honesty and integrity in the process. It may be the
reason that last year the event was not held and the reason we are told
is that there were not more than nine applications received.
If there is ‘overwhelming response’ this year as claimed in the
press, the organisers should realise that it is not because of any local
organisations or individual, but it is because they have brought in the
world famous HR Consultancy company Hewitt to the picture.
The HR community has respect for the integrity of Hewitt Associates
for the professional work they do around the world.
After reading the news item in the Sunday press, I was wondering
whether the local organisers AHRP has misled the business community and
the HR professionals in the country. Why do I say this?
1. In the original announcements on the HRM Awards 2007 - Super 10,
the indication given was that the event was jointly conducted with
Hewitt Associates. Nowhere that it was mentioned or indicated that the
panel of judges are going to be from Sri Lanka and the controversial
‘Professor’ is again going to be the head of the panel. The AHRP kept it
a secret until the nominations were closed.
2. It is a well known fact that this ‘Professor’ has lost respect and
integrity due to several reasons such as his dominating dictatorship
attitude in handling affairs of the previous HRM awards and the manner
in which he selected his wife to a specially created new position in the
institute that he heads and sat as the head of the selection panel to
appoint his wife to the position on a very generous remuneration package
tailor-made for her. There was wide press coverage given to his
degrading conduct.
3. The ‘Professor’ is the patron of the AHRP from its inception and
it is highly unprofessional and unethical to have him as the head of the
selection panel where organisations representing the management of the
AHRP had applied for the awards.
On previous occasions, it is well known fact that this was one of the
major grievances that the applicant organisations had as they felt that
there was clear evidence of the Professor favouring the organisations
representing the AHRP.
On one occasion he even gave a special award (which was not listed
and announced for applications) to an organisation that the HR head was
one of his favourite students.
Even the other members of the panel of judges were taken by surprise
when he announced an award for innovative HR and declared an award for
outsourcing some HR work!
I have actively participated in the activities of both the IPM and
the AHRP and have a respect for what they do for the profession.
As a very senior HR Professional who wants to see the HR profession
developed in the country, I wish to appeal to the organisations involved
that they should bring in the highest levels of professionalism to the
game.
By acting in this manner, you not only bring discredit to yourselves
but also the world famous Hewitt Associations.
Hewitt perhaps is unaware of these historical events and in fairness
to them the AHRP should at least now align the future of the 2007 awards
in the correct path and act in great care and devotion to the profession
and the people involved in the profession without god worshipping their
patron.
The AHRP has honourable professionals governing the association and
therefore has a duty to ensure transparency, honesty and integrity in
their professional dealings with regard to the HRM Awards as it involves
the entire nation and not only its members.
On the part of the ‘Professor’, he should act in the right manner and
step down from his role without leaving room for the public to bring
more disrepute to him.
The HRM Awards should bring honour to the profession and to those
involved in the profession. It should result in earning more respect and
recognition from the business leaders.
G. W. ABEYRATNA BANDARA
HR Research Consultant
The Sirasa Superstar competition is now over, but the competition
alone has left in its wake a trail of suspicion, criticism and
condemnation.
I am of course referring to our mobile phone operators who had
stooped so low as to immobilise their transmission towers - at the most
crucial time - thus denying subscribers their SMS facility to ‘vote’ for
the singer of their choice.
This nonetheless savours of a paradigm of the apparently unholy
nature of some human beings who tend to be hypocrites in a particular
sphere that concerns a vast majority of people.
One wonders whether a thing of this sort could only take place in Sri
Lanka where interested parties put their feet in the wrong areas in
order to sway the final verdict depending by and large only by SMS
‘voting’.
Please permit me to refer to a published letter in one of our
national newspapers wherein I had specifically stated that the concept
of selecting a Superstar by SMS voting is unacceptable to the discerning
public merely because this is not an election - Parliamentary or Local
Government.
In that letter I had suggested the appointment of a panel of judges
comprising seven ‘Visaradas’ of the calibre of Amaradeva, Sanath
Nandasiri, Chandrika Siriwardene and Geethadeva, just to mention a few.
By secret ballot, they could select the Superstar which would no doubt
eliminate all forms of sabotage.
I hold no brief for the finalists in the competition - yet I feel
constrained to write about this competition in the light of the incident
that transpired particularly in the matter of voting by SMS.
FAZAL MAHMOOD
Chilaw
Environmentalists are breathing fire about cutting trees and Co2
emissions.
But has anyone breathed a word about mosquitoes and harmful
blood-sucking insects in ‘protected areas’ where mosquitoes breed by the
billion? Spraying insect-killers in breeding places of mosquitoes is
taboo in ‘Forest Reserves’! Must man give precedence to killer-insects?
LESLIE JAYASINGHE
Makola
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