ORVILLE W. TAYLOR
OKAY! AFTER my last commentaries some persons want to 'tar' and feather me. Well, go on with the feathers but the tar will not show.
On a recent talk show, I addressed the issue of employment and was chastised for figuratively calling an Asian country a 'prison'. A Jamaican national took 'personal' offence to the term, it being his ancestral home.
Having no vested interest in attacking another sovereign state, I concede that my choice of words was indiscreet. However, my loyalty is to my native country, the 'land of nuff wood and nice water'.
Thanks to the slavery experience, I feel more connected to 'Jamdown' than to Ghana or Nigeria although this 'photocopy' African
originated there. Therefore, if human rights
violations exist in these countries I have no remorse in calling a spade a spade. My race is African but my ethnicity, nationality and
allegiance are Jamaican. 'Yasso a fimmi'.
By the way, I hope that the rumour of Bob Marley's remains being 'expatriated' to Africa is just a sick (or dead) joke. Bury that thought!
NOT WHERE EMPLOYMENT IS
Anyway, either we are blind or we refuse to see, but there is a direct link between our terms of international trade and the local unemployment and crime situations.
Between 1980 and 2002, our trade deficit increased from US$238 million to US$2.45
billion. This is alarming! It is impossible to progress while consuming far more than we produce.
Last week, it was revealed that 2,000 garment sector jobs were 'in jeopardy.' (No! Jeopardy is not a new company! It means that people are going to lose their jobs).
The manufacturing picture is not pretty. Between 1992 and 2003, some 33,300 jobs were lost. This represents 34 per cent of all production workers.
In agriculture, 22 per cent or 54,000 jobs
disappeared. Conversely, 28,000 jobs were created in services, 24,000 in finance and business, 29,000 in construction, and 24,000 in transport, communication and storage. Finally, 33,000 jobs emerged in 'wholesale, retail, hotels and restaurants services.'
The numbers 'clyde you'? Hush! I simply wanted to make the point that the industries which are necessary for improving the national economy are not where employment is.
Construction provides jobs but it largely uses imported materials and earns no foreign 'dallaz'. Wholesalers and retailers, such as supermarkets, do not create growth; they distribute money already in the economy. Furthermore, they are typically net importers, thus, earning minus foreign exchange.
Transport uses imported petroleum, parts and vehicles. True, international transport has the potential to earn foreign exchange and, as you know, Air Jamaica 'bruka dan a church mouse'. Shipping and transhipment earn
foreign exchange. However, in facilitating imports, they ultimately worsen the trade deficit if manufacturing exports do not increase. Finance and business earn nothing for the economy, unless sizable amounts of capital are invested in the export sector.
Their policies may make the bankers, their employers and investors richer but only the export of goods and services contribute to real development.
Restaurants, including fast food stores, use both local and imported goods. Yet, if they are not capturing the tourist market, then the country will earn nothing. Finally, service
industries do not create real economic growth unless they provide exported services.
Simply put, if we do not export, we are in trouble. Well, "dem vex wid mi now!"
COMPETING IN A GLOBAL ECONOMY
Jamaican manufacturers and service exporters have to compete in a global economy where the terms of trade are unfair, despite the World Trade Organisation's (WTO) nonsense about free trade.
I do not have the 'foggiest' idea who signed the agreement in 1990s, but we have committed and exposed our national producers and providers of service including universities to open competition from 'foreign'. We are required to privatise and remove protection from local industries. Thus, anybody can export to Jamaica and compete with our local producers.
Well, guess what? There is no free or fair trade because some nations produce under circumstances that have no regard for human rights.
Human rights developed under the Charter of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in 1919 and became part of the United Nation's Charter in 1944.
Nonetheless, back in the 1840s, the French manufacturer, Daniel Le Grand argued that international labour standards should exist because countries and manufacturers that produced using sub-standard labour conditions had an unfair advantage. Decent work must comprise freedom of association, (the right to form and participate in trade unions,) freedom from discrimination, forced labour and child labour and freedom of expression.
UNFAIR TRADE ARENA
This last one includes the freedom to go on talk shows and talk nonsense about other countries. Compared to all East Asian countries, including China, both Koreas, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia, Jamaica's human and worker rights are far superior.
I dare anyone to tell me how many free radio stations, independent trade unions, private entrepreneurs and free professional athletes exist in China. That is what we have to compete with because the WTO ignores the ILO labour standards.
Therefore, apart from local policies for which the government, employers and trade unions must take the blame, a main reason for the decline in manufacturing and export earnings is our participating in an unfair international trade arena.
To compete effectively and to be like the Asian 'tigers' and 'dragons' is to suppress workers rights, silence the press and increase the police and military presence. In other words 'we woulda haffi lock dung di place like GP'. After slavery and the sacrifices of Bogle, Bain Alves, Gordon, the Manleys, Busta, Shearer and many others, I say "not in my country!"
Remember this, we can 'chat bull' all we want but 70 per cent of murders are committed by males in the 18-24 age group. This group has an unemployment rate of 23 per cent, four times the overall rate for men.
You don't need an 'obeah man' to say what causes what. Sorry! I have to talk because I have no other country to run to when these boys break out.
Dr. Orville Taylor is a lecturer in the
department of sociology, psychology and
social work at the University of the West Indies, Mona.
