Saturday, May 06, 2006
Social Welfare…
Caution: Controversial & Opinionated
Y’day I had a major discussion with my boss on social welfare activities/programs done by any of the companies – private/public/govt… the focus area was on BPOs and the highly tense and demanding work environment and its impact on society at large.
The talk started with a general reference to a recent article in TOI on BPO providing the diet guide to its employees …
His (my boss) started with how deficiently the BPO folks are paid … well I countered him with the kind of skill and qualification they have they are getting more than they can digest. He argued – every industry (field) has its own requirement and with that BPO is served with deserving candidates – however the kind of work pressures they assume, the compensation might not be correct. Work pressure is not of working all night/ in shifts… it’s about number of calls (rather successful call)/ conversions/ and such similar stuff which virtually forces to employees to work extra (beyond the official deadlines) … resulting in social imbalance…
I countered – it better that the youth is occupied in constructive activities and earning its own pocket money (actually more than that) rather than destructive and terrorist activities (similar to what we faced in UP & Bihar few years ago … the unemployed youth taking up arms for their survival) … if we look to overall unemployment also – the BPO industry caters to large mass who is not able to get the professional qualification (may be due to personal problems if not intellect). I agree that every thing has its drawbacks but it really doesn’t mean that we can say they are creating social imbalance. And to the question of their rewards (pay scales) … I think the guys are getting more than they could have imagined few years back… and it’s the competitive world and the structure is very much governed by some of the simple laws of demand and supply… where there is need, there is higher salary…
Boss again argued – you can’t cut your hand to take care of your headache – just that the pain in arm will be more than that in the head! Because from my argument – child labor is right!!!
Well, I didn’t agree completely … the point I put forth had a different perspective… I said child labor per say is not right – BUT – if the same child is left for begging on the streets or die of hunger or gets into destructive activities – child labor is better than those things… however – this doesn’t mean that the child should be working like an adult as they actually are in many of the industries (most of them being hazardous) … they should be given an opportunity to grow and get themselves a decent living.
I still say a working kid is better than him begging … he’ll learn the life hard way … on the other hand if the child gets into begging… he’ll not be able to work anytime in his life… my belief is that if the child has access to his survival necessities (food & shelter) – he shall not be put into child labor… otherwise – it’s better for the child to fight for his survival.
We had to cut our discussion because of a phone call from big boss…
Comments are welcome (with no personal accusations)…
The talk started with a general reference to a recent article in TOI on BPO providing the diet guide to its employees …
His (my boss) started with how deficiently the BPO folks are paid … well I countered him with the kind of skill and qualification they have they are getting more than they can digest. He argued – every industry (field) has its own requirement and with that BPO is served with deserving candidates – however the kind of work pressures they assume, the compensation might not be correct. Work pressure is not of working all night/ in shifts… it’s about number of calls (rather successful call)/ conversions/ and such similar stuff which virtually forces to employees to work extra (beyond the official deadlines) … resulting in social imbalance…
I countered – it better that the youth is occupied in constructive activities and earning its own pocket money (actually more than that) rather than destructive and terrorist activities (similar to what we faced in UP & Bihar few years ago … the unemployed youth taking up arms for their survival) … if we look to overall unemployment also – the BPO industry caters to large mass who is not able to get the professional qualification (may be due to personal problems if not intellect). I agree that every thing has its drawbacks but it really doesn’t mean that we can say they are creating social imbalance. And to the question of their rewards (pay scales) … I think the guys are getting more than they could have imagined few years back… and it’s the competitive world and the structure is very much governed by some of the simple laws of demand and supply… where there is need, there is higher salary…
Boss again argued – you can’t cut your hand to take care of your headache – just that the pain in arm will be more than that in the head! Because from my argument – child labor is right!!!
Well, I didn’t agree completely … the point I put forth had a different perspective… I said child labor per say is not right – BUT – if the same child is left for begging on the streets or die of hunger or gets into destructive activities – child labor is better than those things… however – this doesn’t mean that the child should be working like an adult as they actually are in many of the industries (most of them being hazardous) … they should be given an opportunity to grow and get themselves a decent living.
I still say a working kid is better than him begging … he’ll learn the life hard way … on the other hand if the child gets into begging… he’ll not be able to work anytime in his life… my belief is that if the child has access to his survival necessities (food & shelter) – he shall not be put into child labor… otherwise – it’s better for the child to fight for his survival.
We had to cut our discussion because of a phone call from big boss…
Comments are welcome (with no personal accusations)…
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
For every thing else there is CC…
… sometimes coming of a family member (my mom this time) to your place becomes an expensive proposition… just spent around another 6 grand for Saris for mom apart from the additional house hold expenses and making of kitchen and her to-n-fro tickets – which thinned my wallet by a drastic measure… and as of today my CC bills are nearing my a month’s take home …
However … I have no regrets on what I am doing as every thing said … few things in this world are priceless… and for everything else…
However … I have no regrets on what I am doing as every thing said … few things in this world are priceless… and for everything else…
May Day... May Day…
I know it's a day late...
Well not necessarily I need help … but past few days the media has given me mouthful of food for thought… from reservations (aka Mandal-II – and the stir of the meds) to abduction-killing of an Indian engineer by Taliban in Afghanistan working for a Bahrain’s company (followed by the case of two wives and distribution of the survival kit!) …
Most thoughtful was the recent NDTV Big Fight on Celebrities involvement into the social activities (celebrity activism) and its commercialization… another interesting case was of cancellation of vacation of school and college teachers of govt. instt asking them to update and upgrade their skills…
Surprisingly, the Mahajan drama took a back seat among the recent happenings… which was the talk of the media circle … spreading from who Mahajan and his family is to the assumed motives of the act of his younger sib… hope he survives...
It’s a really situation of May Day… May Day… and SOS for India today… as Shabana said very rightly (NDTV Big Fight) … it’s good that media is seeking attention however – in a wrong way… they are talking about why Amir Khan is doing social activism (what’s motive of Amir to join social activism – is it related to his movies… ) rather than if Amir is coming there … what’s the root cause of the issue… and further … why should Amir be responsible for every other issues in the world just because he’s taking interest in one of the issues…
Well not necessarily I need help … but past few days the media has given me mouthful of food for thought… from reservations (aka Mandal-II – and the stir of the meds) to abduction-killing of an Indian engineer by Taliban in Afghanistan working for a Bahrain’s company (followed by the case of two wives and distribution of the survival kit!) …
Most thoughtful was the recent NDTV Big Fight on Celebrities involvement into the social activities (celebrity activism) and its commercialization… another interesting case was of cancellation of vacation of school and college teachers of govt. instt asking them to update and upgrade their skills…
Surprisingly, the Mahajan drama took a back seat among the recent happenings… which was the talk of the media circle … spreading from who Mahajan and his family is to the assumed motives of the act of his younger sib… hope he survives...
It’s a really situation of May Day… May Day… and SOS for India today… as Shabana said very rightly (NDTV Big Fight) … it’s good that media is seeking attention however – in a wrong way… they are talking about why Amir Khan is doing social activism (what’s motive of Amir to join social activism – is it related to his movies… ) rather than if Amir is coming there … what’s the root cause of the issue… and further … why should Amir be responsible for every other issues in the world just because he’s taking interest in one of the issues…
...reservations again...
so far the best post on reservations I came across ...
http://alok-naik.blogspot.com/2006/05/quotas-again.html
...
http://alok-naik.blogspot.com/2006/05/quotas-again.html
...
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