The buzzword around town is “globalisation.” Though lots of Bahamians have this word on their lips now, the country is just beginning to catch up with the rest of the world, which was talking about ‘globalisation’, ‘multiculturalism’, ‘synergy’ and ‘convergence’ in the early 1990s.
Treaties such as Free Trade of the Americas and the World Trade Organisation are opening this country to such terms. And since they are bound to open this country further to foreign nationals, the other big buzzword being pushed around town is ‘productivity,’ referring to the efficiency or lack thereof of Bahamian employees.
Most of the people using it are managers of both local and foreign companies, who are trying to warn Bahamians that if they do not increase productivity and their level of training, they will get left behind as people take their jobs.
The apparent growth in industrial unrest is spurring a lot of this talk, because managers feel unions are fighting for all employees, whether productive or not.
While this is true, there are other realities as well. There are many skilled and productive Bahamians who are justifiably not happy with the realities of their work place.
Some really bright employees can only advance to a certain level, have no mentor willing to train them, and earn salaries that are nothing to talk about. Some invest thousands of dollars in an education to find the pay they are offered is so low it barely or rarely meets the average salary.
Employers must also understand true “globalisation” opens up the world to such people as well, and we stand the risk of losing them permanently.
Because of the work culture in The Bahamas, the country has already lost many bright people to first-world countries such the United States and Canada, where the opportunity to rise and prosper on merit is a given.
Globalisation is a two-way street, with employers demanding higher productivity and an increase in responsibility from employees, who in turn have the right to demand better working environment, competitive benefits, and fair wages.
Employers in The Bahamas need to understand moving forward toward the first world also means putting employees first. The end product is the retention of top-notch employees, and at the end of the day a better product and increased chances of financial viability in a competitive market.
Editorial, The Nassau Guardian
