Fair work ethics

Since the collapse of the global financial system, analysts have been doing some hair-splitting as to what had gone wrong and most seem to agree that the root cause of the crisis was, and still is, the huge deficit in the 'moral and human spirit' that prevents the institution of 'sound ethics to economic behaviour'. The real purpose of the market is to create wealth, of course, but it should also fulfill a duty towards the wider community rather than act with complete disregard for people at large. The core problem, they say, is that 'the moral spirit of capitalism' has been lost, and instead of serving humanity in all its complexity and spiritual dimensions, it has been riding roughshod over the 'working classes' while feeding the unlimited greed of a few 'fat cats'. The solution lies in sharing equitably the fruits with all the other social partners who make business possible, most importantly those at the humble ends. Friends of the capitalist system also recommend increasing charitable giving and tackling environmental degradation and poverty ---- in other words, re-attaching capitalism to its original moral moorings. Corporate prosperity in the world has unfortunately been at the cost --- sometimes irreparable ---- of the natural habitat and its resources and people, over the last few hundred years of ruthless and indiscriminate exploitation. Countries like Bangladesh that are struggling to raise their standard of life, had better learn from the mistakes and positive experiences all around them in order to avoid similar moral deficiencies (ecological ignorance) and to keep their own 'spiritual dimensions' intact. This calls for a new growth model that is truly inclusive. In a nation teeming with socio-economically disadvantaged people, there should be no scope for too much greed. Every effort must be given to the fair distribution of work, wages, and amenities. Bangladesh could then emerge as a more humane middle-income country in no time, if entrepreneurship continues to grow at the current rate. If the latent talents of the youthful human resource could be tapped to the full, the sky would be the limit! Some 45 per cent of the population are below 15, according to one UN estimate. Unfortunately, neither our successive governments nor the growing brigade of home-grown entrepreneurs have been investing properly, and adequately, in this potential. This is a major retarding factor that must be overcome if we are to stay afloat, and swim as well, in the high-tech, corporatised, intensely knowledge-based global economic scenario of the 21st century. Although much is heard about the need to develop the available human resource to fit the market, requisite skill development facilities are yet to be at par with the demand for properly trained labour at home or abroad. The huge remittances migrants send home do not belie the fact that most of these hard-working hands could have earned far more, and placed in better workplaces, had their full potential been honed in advance to ensure higher working and living standards abroad. Most deaths in the Middle East are said to be due to poor food intake, dehydration and heat stroke. All such tragedies could be easily avoided if the workers were given the basics of self-care knowledge prior to taking up their jobs. The recruiting agencies should be made to include such vital information in compulsory pre-flight training. It should be the responsibility of the manpower exporters also to ensure that employers provide reasonably humane standards at the designated workplaces.