<B>By Pauline ETIENNE</B>

The blunt and systematic rejection of the private sector by trade unionists – and some civil servants in general – is just incomprehensible. The association of building companies thought that the closing-down of the Development Works Corporation (DWC) would help them find the workforce they were urgently looking for. But it seems they did not reckon with the determination of those workers to… remain unemployed. As astonishing as it may appear, these people seem to prefer to stay jobless rather than secure a rather well-paid job in the private sector.

And the reasons behind are even more astonishing! In an interview given to l’express, Georges Sooprayen, the president of the DWC staff union, gives quite an “interesting” image of the private sector. “It is a different form of slavery! White against black! This is what the private sector does to get money.” The sentence looks so exaggerated that it could be taken for a joke! But the tragedy is that it is no joke…

I guess hunger strikes are never done willingly. But, in view of the unionist’s lack of coherence, one can wonder whether the strikers studied all possible avenues for a solution before going on strike.

The DWC had to close down. Any responsible citizen agrees with this. The strikers themselves do not really question this specific issue; what they want is the guarantee of another job in the public sector.

Let us not even discuss this issue of the so-called “slavery” – it appears so far-fetched that it seems to come from another world or era! The reality is that the government will not always be able to guarantee jobs and security to everybody. In this particular time – where the country is highly indebted – it is out of question of giving subsidies or any other aid to citizens who can manage to earn a living otherwise. Poor Sithanen who is convinced that “people are starting to understand” the reform. How disappointed he must have been when he realised that people still want to be assisted.

Georges Sooprayen is the example of a civil servant who has always worked in the public sector and can’t even imagine himself working elsewhere. But people like him must realise that the world has changed. We are no longer a colony. And, above all, the future of Mauritius lies in private enterprise. Of course, this implies that the private sector is not only interested in making profits but “work with the state to expand the opportunities,” as Rama Sithanen puts it.

DWC employees have become redundant. We can understand their frustration and discontent with the government. But they should keep some common sense and realise that there is no other alternative. The government has set up the Empowerment Programme to help those who are jobless. The latter have made it clear – and the association of building companies has confirmed it – that there are between 2,000 and 3,000 vacancies in the sector.

With all the hotels and IRS projects that will be launched in the coming years, there is no doubt that they will be guaranteed (they seem to enjoy this word a lot) a job for quite a long time. They just need to grow up and take up the challenge to change their lives. The world is changing, the economy is changing… If the people do not follow the trend, they will just be left behind while development will go on! Nobody owes them a living. A shift in mentalities is warranted… It might not be one of the presents brought by Father Christmas, but it has to be a conscious decision! And this could be the most difficult…