At one of the fringe events, a teabreak intended for 300 people almost didn't happen because some of the reputable caterer's staff went on strike.
The positive side was, the said staff had the decency to dump whatever they were supposed to set up in a corner for us to find. So when everyone pitched in to help set up tables, tea and all, the teabreak proceeded smoothly without delay to the stipulated timings. The guests were none the wiser.
Whew.
We didn't know why the staff went on strike. It could be dissatisfaction with several aspects of the job; they thought it was too much work or simply done for shits and giggles. That was none of our business anyway. Aside from service failure, the incident cast a shadow over this set of employer-employee relations. But it doesn't say anything else. Strikes are fairly common in industrial/labor relations and it's all part of scenario planning and business contingency plans, except in the context of our local workforce.
What disturbs me deeply is how I heard mutters go around the room with phrases of "Ex-convicts lah, no wonder lah." thrown about. I definitely didn't like what I was hearing. And I call some of these people with this mindset, colleagues. To one comment, I replied, "Does it matter? If that's the sole reason, it's quite shallow." Well, I think that colleague will never talk to me again. Ha. Not like many of them talk to me anyway.
I certainly hope the caterer won't be put off with his decision to continue supporting the Yellow Ribbon Project. It's a worthy cause. I'm too zonked to do in-depth analysis. The issues don't quite lie with employers, I feel. It lies with society at large. Sure, strip a beauty queen of a pageant title because of a criminal record, no matter how minor because it casts aspersions on her character on the international stage. I'm majorly against her speech impediments. It is a national embarassment and not at all endearing. But for the rest of the objectives the Yellow Ribbon Project tries to achieve, it's a necessary cause to integrate ex-offenders mainstream because it's a matter of bread and butter, life and death- to get them out of a vicious cycle. It's really not easy to make major headways in our society when the Project has to battle with mindsets like that.
8 comments:
thank goodness for people like you who can see the wider picture of things.
my my..if ex-convicts can't do better jobs, how about e 'normal' ppl coping in e workforce den..? *Rolls eyes* They are shallow indeed =( Numskull human species realli think they can surpass all sorts of nonsense n take all e credits..Makes me suspicious of these 'highly educated' ppl n where their skool fees go.. *blech*
everyone deserve a chance. i support the yellow ribbon! that's y i went for the run :)
I was wondering when the suject of the beauty queen would crop up here. hehehe..
It's an unforgiving and myopic world.
And of course it wouldn't apply to the people uttering these comments if they were the convict's, right?
I must admit to uncertainty and trepidation when it comes to rehabilitating hard core criminals, but for non-violent offenders, they need their silver lining behind the dark clouds as well.
tuti: hoping many others will too.
mochalatte: some HR issues are the same lah, regardless of convicts or not.
michelle: some people do. not all, imho.
jomel: i sneaked it in!!!
kachunknorge: for the heavy crimes, they're not part of this project. and yes, for violent crimes, i'd object vociferously if a paedophile lives next door.
I say aye, for having the balls to go on strike if they are being treated unfairly.
More respect to them than to those who just sit around expecting to be taken care of, and/or just start to whine and grumble when things don't go their way.
JM: that's also valid.
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