Jet Airways Fiasco

It has been around 15 days since I have written here. I have to write more often for sure.I have lots of issues to talk about, one issue which stands on top of my head is the retrenchment and immediate roll back of sacked employees in Jet Airways.

There is no doubt that there is a slowdown and a turmoil in the global economy.All sectors are facing the heat and the slowdown is truly global as it is ought to be in a truly globalized world. All companies are faced with a slowdown in sales and the top management all over are in crisis control mode.One tool for them is to cut down their operating expenses and the first to bear the brunt would be the employees.It is in the best interest of the company that this decision is being made.

Layoffs or firing of employees in Western countries is relatively more common than in developing economies like India.Companies like HP and Pepsi Co have laid off their staff in large numbers , but the sacked staff have been able to face the situation more strongly than what people in India would do in such circumstances.

These companies would provide, say one month's salary for the employees while leaving as some sort of compensation. The sacked employees immediately within a month or two find smaller jobs to pay of their minimum expenses. They do not try for the same jobs as they did earlier but they employ themselves in simple jobs.But in India , people do not have that kind of mentality either do the employers. If one person has started his career in one industry many do not change it but the situation is fast improving.

The top management of Jet Airways headed by a foreign CEO felt they can chop of the extra employees in the name of rationalization and adjustment. There are many more fancy words which they use to describe the firing of the employees.They thought it will be a good move and assumed it would work wonders in their alliance with Vijay Mallya's Kingfisher airlines.

The media were quick to bring the issue to the fore and almost all leading dailies gave the front page to this news item.Hundreds of youngsters who have spent large amounts of money on the courses for getting these jobs were mercilessly shown the exit door without having even completed a year in their jobs.The employees started protesting and political parties were preparing to jump in to the issue with full steam.The brand 'Jet' was taking a beating. As expected the 'fire and hire' policy is not going down well with the sentiments of the Indian community.

With pressure mounting from various quarters , Naresh Goyal the Chairman of Jet Airways has decided to reinstate all the sacked employees.He says that he did not take the decision under any political pressure or after meeting any political leader and adds that that it was not his decision to sack the employees but it was that of his management.It is hard to believe for us as to how the management would have gone ahead with the decision without the approval of Naresh Goyal.

Apparently it seems that they(Jet Airways) did not expect these protests and now they are paying for their reckless decision.Given the kind of Indian job market it is not right on the part of the company to literally play with the careers of employees. They are not accessories which can used when needed and thrown once not needed.They are humans with emotions of the same kind which Prock Schauer and Mallya have.They need graceful separation from the companies they work for.I am happy that India still offers stiff resistance to the 'fire and hire' policies of the corporates.

The employees must be flexible and should develop a mind set to work in any kind of job which is available to them.The corporates I feel should be more careful while increasing their head-counts even if it can slowdown their growth rates a bit but it surely gives them and their employees a better relationship even in adverse economic conditions.

Temples or(are) Graveyards?

Two incidents in recent times have disturbed me a lot. One is the communal violence in the state of Orissa, which continues and intensifies as each day progresses and remains unchecked by the government. The other horrifying incident is the stampede at Jodhpur,Rajasthan in a Hindu temple in which 147 people were killed.Most of the casualties were men who in most cases were the sole bread winners of their families.

I have been to many temples since my childhood and I have always wondered why people keep pushing through to get in first and want to be the first to get a view of the deity.Some of the temples which have large number of devotees throughout the year have good arrangements for people to stand in proper queues and have a large number of temple staff to oversee the smooth flow of people.But temples which attract huge number of devotees only during festivals are ill equipped to handle the crowds.
These temples put up make shift queues and there are hardly any staff to regulate the crowds. As a result these places are highly vulnerable to stampedes. It is time the government steps in and makes stringent rules which have to be followed in places of worship were humongous amounts of people gather.

A hero’s farewell for Inspector Sharma

The mortal remains of Mohan Chand Sharma, the Delhi Police Special Cell officer who was killed in an encounter with suspected terrorists at Batla House here on Friday, were consigned to flames with full State honours at Nigambodh Ghat on Saturday. A large number of people including political leaders, police officers, family and friends attended the funeral.

After post-mortem, Inspector Sharma’s body wrapped in a Delhi Police flag was taken to his Dwarka Sector 4 residence in a flower-bedecked mini-truck. It was then taken to the crematorium amid shouting of slogans like “M.C. Sharma Amar Rahe!” and “Bharat Mata Ki Jai!” by his colleagues and friends.

Following a gun salute and Last Post, the funeral pyre was lit by his cousin. Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal, Delhi’s Lieutenant-Governor Tejender Khanna, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, senior BJP leaders L.K. Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, Union Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta and former Delhi Police Commissioners M.B. Kaushal, T.R. Kakkar, Ajai Raj Sharma and K.K. Paul were present at the funeral.

Apart from Police Commissioner Y.S. Dadwal, many senior Delhi Police officers, batch-mates and colleagues of Inspector Sharma were also at the cremation ground to bid him farewell.

Inspector Sharma’s seniors said he was a brave police officer and used to lead all the operations from the front. An ever-smiling man, he kept his cool even in tense situations.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Karnal Singh said: “It is a great loss. Inspector Sharma worked under me for four-and-a-half years. He was very energetic and had a great analytical skill. His expertise on fieldwork was unparalleled. He developed a vague input received from the Gujarat police to a level where he was able to zero in on the terrorists.”

A large number of people who did not know Inspector Sharma personally also attended his funeral to pay homage to the person who sacrificed his life for their safety. Inspector Sharma had eliminated 35 terrorists in counter-terror operations and was said to be the backbone of the Delhi Police Special Cell.


THE BLOG SALUTES THE MAN WHO GIFTED HIS LIFE TO THE COUNTRY .... A MARTYR WHO CONSIDERED HIS COUNTRY AHEAD OF HIS FAMILY

Are Tough Times Ahead ?

  There was a time when thousands of graduates would queue up themselves in employment exchanges and wait for years to get jobs mostly in the government sector. Then came the employment boom in private sector thanks to the once burgeoning  IT sector. Campus placements which were restricted only to crème de le crème slowly got extended to other colleges. Engineering graduates got offers in final semesters and then in the beginning  of their final years and in the peak , thousands were given offers in their pre-final year itself.

  This trend which was initially thought to be a blessing had its own pitfalls. Students who had offers in their hands in the beginning of their final  year started paying less attention to their studies , they just maintained their grades so as to complete their degrees. This attitude from the students were not only seen in lower rung colleges but also in the IITs where the best minds of India study. 

  Last academic year too, thousands were given offers in the IT companies through campus placements. But the eager candidates are kept waiting indefinitely before being inducted in to the company. The companies give offers hoping that their growth rates would be exponential and in some cases boast about their HR policies on being par with global standards. But one wonders how a company can estimate the number of freshers it will need one year hence given the volatile global economic scenario. 

  The companies play safe by not committing to any dates as to when the candidates will be able to join the company. The candidates are in complete uncertainness as to what will happen , some are not able to plan their higher studies and some end up doing part time jobs in the meanwhile.

  It is definitely impossible for the companies which recruit in thousands to induct all selected candidates at the same time. But I hope it is at least possible for them to inform to the new recruits as to when they will join, as soon the candidates complete their course.

The University authorities can come up with a plan to restrict placements to only the final semesters in all colleges. This should be followed across India with the help of AICTE.

If placements do happen in final semesters, it is going to be beneficial for both the student community and the companies. It is high time the companies start being more transparent in dealing with the campus placements. Another long term solution would be the two different academic years, in which graduates would be coming out in two different seasons which are separated by six months, say one group finishing their graduation in June and another group in December.

  With the number of engineering colleges increasing and a possible slowdown of the IT industry which has remained a top recruiter of engineering graduates for a decade or so, it may turn out to be a tough ride for the graduating batches. It is high time the Academia-Industry come out with innovations to help millions find meaningful jobs through which they can contribute to their families and eventually to the country’s economic growth.

Generous Indian CEOs

I begin to wonder whether slavery which used to exist in the colonial era is making its way back but in a milder avatar. It is more indirect and I think many would argue with me for the usage of this word initially but let us see what do you feel at the end of the essay. India after having liberalised has seen vast improvements in its economy, thanks to the various flourishing sectors.

The private sector is playing a pivotal role in the economic development . It employs lakhs and lakhs of people ,provides products and services of international quality and in some cases has extended its role in social causes too. But yet India remains a country with wide differences. On one hand it has large number of millionaires and billionaires and in the lower end has people who struggle to eat three meals a day. The disparity seems to be getting wider and wider each day.

The majority of Indians reveiving graduate level eduacation join these private companies and toil night and day to just get paltry incomes. The ownership is just reluctant to part with the profits which the employees deserve. They like to keep the major share of the profits to themselves and their close relations. Even listed companies having a family oriented business origin indulge in these selfish motives.

The Economic Times survey of CEO Salaries of Indian companies reveals the attitudes of these gentlemen who spearhead India Inc. Some of them have had pay rises greater than the growth rate of their companies. I dont think any law can stop them from taking such hefty pay packages but one thing which can is their inner voices. I dont understand how these brilliant people fail to recognise the efforts of their employees or may be they are staying ignorant inspite of their knowledge about how important are the employees in the performance of the company.

Even the Prime Minister of the country raised concerns about the sky high packages of the CEOs but those words fell in to deaf ears Mr.PM. If India needs to grow and if it wants to have a inclusive growth , a cap or a ceiling must be put on the salary levels of individuals. The top managements of all the companies should be ready to share profits among its employees equally and should pave the way for a country in which people get to use the resources of the land on a equal basis.

Mission of this blog

The mission of this blog is completely for selfish reasons. I just created this space on the web to express my feelings and as a place where I can let out my thoughts in to the world freely.