Reflecting on the words ‘work or depart’ - Editorial

State employees in general need to lift their performance as workers. This is the general thinking of people who visit state establishments to obtain services. The warning that President Ranil Wickremesinghe issued, a few days ago, that state workers who supposedly don’t perform should immediately leave the service doesn’t need to come as a surprise. 
It’s a reminder that Sri Lankans in general need to work harder; regardless of whether they are employed by the state or by a private company. 

This call to raise both commitment and output at work is coming at a time when there is concern that Sri Lanka’s economic growth would likely shrink by 8% this year. 
The average Sri Lankan worker looks at a call like the one made by the president, very often than not, from a negative perspective. This is especially so with state employees. 

The same can be said about the employees who fall into the categories of workers or unskilled labourers. A call from the top for workers to work hard is often looked upon as a threat to their existence within an organization. 
Wickremesinghe can become ruthless with lawmakers and state sector workers in terms of delivering in their positions. Critics point out that he can do so because he didn’t come into power with a people’s mandate. They add that it all started happening for Wickremesinghe because the circumstances within parliament favoured him to be propelled to the hot seat. Regardless of how he assumed power and whether people like his economic plans Wickremesinghe must be taken seriously when he comes up with a suggestion that all state sector employees must work or depart. The private sector entities can also take a cue from the president.  

When the British controlled this country there was enough evidence that locals were cheated when offering labour. History shows us that there were enough strikes and agitating campaigns organised by workers when they thought that they had suffered enough at the hands of employers. 

In the early 1920s much of the strikes by workers produced favourable results because of the presence of leaders like A.E Gunasinghe. One such strike was the strike initiated by tram car drivers and conductors who demanded a 25% wage hike. Gunasinghe was throwing his weight behind these strikes and the end result was a victory to the agitators because the company owners promised to settle wage issues and bring in laws that would cater to workers’ welfare. 

In later years we saw the roles played by union leaders Arumugam Thondaman and Bala Thampore to raise hope and the living standards of workers. There have been occasions where worker interest had to be protected. But this country has reached a situation where its economy needs to be protected above anything else. When pressure is applied on state workers to lift their performance it gets reported in the media more than the same situation cropping up at a private organization. 

Paying salaries in the state sector is a burden on the treasury. This has been stated time and again by lawmakers. But here again lawmakers are helpless because most of the excess staff recruited to state institutes are their close associates and offering employment to them is an election promise. Delivering on election promises doesn’t apply to President Wickremesinghe. 

Sri Lankans must realise that the members in their working population in general are not motivated when compared to workers from India, Vietnam and Bangladesh. May be the private sector would take such a call or warning from the head of state in better spirit. May be a worker in the private sector may raise his efforts and contributions and also qualify himself or herself academically or professionally to save his or her job. This might not happen in a state sector institute. 

Since this writer is in the media this story which is being related would inspire state sector employees. The head of a leading wire service, with an office here in Colombo, once gave the message to a worker doing a manual job that his services wouldn’t be needed if he couldn’t meet the challenge of switching from performing manually to doing things electronically and also performing multiple tasks. The worker took the challenge and retained his job setting an example to others as to how to stay employed when a job position is threatened.