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I happen to work for a company that is owned and run my immigrants. And by immigrants I mean Indians. As is the norm with working for these people, it's bare minimum pay, occasional racist slurs, getting shouted at for no good reason and a boss who doesn’t seem to understand the extent of his powers and all his roles and responsibilities. Every once in a while our so called “boss” gets erratic and loud so we fight back with words as well till he coils his tail in between his legs and walks away. The proprietor probably hired him because his resume looked good online although it might have been tailored to fit the job requirements as most people do. His managerial and people skills are unimpressive.
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Most of the people in management positions in most companies are not that smart. Some just know someone in another office who gave them a boost to that position but they have no knowledge or experience on how to manage people, a business or department. Zero interpersonal skills, zero managerial skills. They’re surrounded by good hardworking subordinates that make them look good at the top. Some can’t even do the work the subordinates are doing.
Before I go any further I should also probably let you know that our government is more concerned about things like keeping this zombie regime in power, what the ladies are wearing(banned mini-skirts), what you’re doing with your computer and phone(taxed social media, banned porn sites, anti-pornography bill), how to finance their luxuries(tax mobile money) among other things. What they should really be doing is getting us a minimum wage bill. No casual labourer should earn less than UGX 250,000= a month (approximately UGX 10,000= per day) and no graduate should earn less UGX 1,500,000= a month (approximately UGX 50,000= per day).
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So what’s the situation in Uganda right now? A very huge readily available labour supply that has led to underemployment and disguised unemployment. People working jobs they’re over qualified for and subsequently getting paid peanuts. People working jobs where their absence isn’t felt which means low job security and also very low pay. So whom do we blame?
Ourselves. As qualified employees we can only blame ourselves for 90% of our short coming. Not just in the work industry but in all aspects of life. We have the full power and infinite potential to turn our lives around 100% but we just sit there and procrastinate, afraid to take risks, prioritize poorly, don’t plan ahead, work lazily but somehow expect and pray for miracles. We don’t even take effort to utilize the opportunities around us or prepare ourselves appropriately for these miracles if they were to come. People are sitting around with incomplete academic documents, tabled CVs, no standard travel passport, no national ID, no driver’s license. Like what’s your angle man?
The education system. Mostly theoretical than practical and focuses mostly on the students passing rather than them understanding what they’ve been taught. It also does not teach skills required in the real world like how to invest, manage finances and people, negotiate, sell something etc It trains employees and not employers. So now employers only want exceptional A+ students and those with experience which is only less than half of the labour market. For this reason we have trained doctors and engineers running restaurants and doing other semi-skilled jobs that get them paid rather than wait on employers. I must say it’s thoroughly unfulfilling.
The government. As I said earlier, it’s a zombie regime with pretty messed up priorities. The innovative and enterprising citizens with start-ups are taxed so hard they just pack up and go home. Companies(new and old) owned by citizens don’t get contracts, incentives and tax holidays like those owned or run by foreigners with even much bigger capital. Tax free profits are repatriated by foreigners and the tax is then shifted to the employees who aren’t even protected by a minimum wage. I’m telling you people work a 12-hour shift to make just one dollar (UGX 3500=)
SourceCapitalism. Obviously. Why is oxygen the only free thin on earth? Why does everything cost money? You pay rent, buy water, food, electricity, clothes, medicine, sex, recreational drugs among other things. Capitalism continuously makes us sad for not having things that we don’t even need. You see an advert for a 72-inch flat TV and you swear to God that you need one but do you? Do you really? You were doing perfectly fine until you saw the advert. Nothing has changed but you’ll still work extra to get the stupid TV and now the electricity bill is double. You also go ahead and get another fuel-guzzling vehicle while at it. Preferably a 5-litre luxury 4X4 SUV yet you have a family of three and live in a suburb with extra smooth good roads. One Prius would’ve been just fine.
Conclusion and way forward: Wake up and re-invent yourself. Find a hobby that gets you paid. That way you’ll find fulfillment and happiness and still get paid for it. The education system is obsolete and is in dire need of an update like decades ago. The regime needs to call it a day. In the meantime they should make themselves useful by passing a minimum wage bill and also supporting local entrepreneurs, innovators and inventors. Lastly don’t always give in to capitalism. Just don't.