Isolated events ?? Huh !!!

I do not want to undermine the right to protest for some injustice being done.
But looks like the free market is giving in to to socialism, errr... almost to the
comminism !

With the global recession, a lot of industry maturing pain points are exposed.
Like no across the board salary hikes, cut in the variable pay, curb on the promotions
etc.

In a free market, what should happen ? Seeking equilibrium, people would move to
where the jobs are and the money is. Simple !

This is fundamentally a great leveler. Now look what human intervention to natures law of equilibrium can do !


- Jet Airways making huge losses, cutting variable pay ! Pilot take down most
flights. Company makes more loss in 5 days that it would normally do in a
quarter.

- Almost as if it is planned govt. bail out plan, AI pilots launch a strike
right after the Jet Airways. Allowing, Jet airways to hike up price by 200%.
Making up for the loss Jet incurred in 3 days ???

- Kingfisher, another leading airline making enough loss, a partner of Jet, jacking up
prices on both the prior occasions.

Now, two private airlines making up for their losses, with whose money ?
AIs. Govt. Tax payers money. Its like tax money have become the IPO money now.

Tough to believe the strikes are not planned in isolation !!

The fort you built is your prison !!

Worried Vicky storms in to Betaal's office !

He has taken enough amount of pain over last few years building a solid team and a big team. And that was the need of the hour !!

Now, that teams charter is eroding as the team is becoming more efficient in doing the stuff and business not growing that fast during the recession time.

Enters another leader to the scene who is exactly at the same place Vicky was 3 years ago. Has a small team, has a road map to scale but have not capability to grow the numbers. No hiring !!!

And his focus is on getting few from Vicky's team, ready-made experts and kick start his team on the path to growth. He has made 1 or 2 attempts already and successfully so.

That worries Vicky and bring him to Betaal for brainstorming.

Betaal listens through and tell - "One builds a fort to be safe from external dangers. These are impregnable architectures with water ways surrounding them. Big iron gates. Completely guarded and cordoned of the external world.

Now, if the danger goes away the very same fort one builds becomes his / her prison. "

Betaal tell Vicky - "Go ahead collaborate with this new leader and free yourself from the prison. You both will grow ! "

Statistics ...

Betaal moved with his infamous smirk on his face to Vicky's office.
There was a test on his head ! For sure and he knew Vicky this time will flunk !

Betaal - "How you doing Vicky ? Long time no see".

Vicky - "Could be better. A lot of engineers calling in Sick this Friday. I can not understand what is that on a Friday one would fall sick ? I am convinced 99% of them are healthy and just making it a long weekend by calling in sick. And with media reporting H1N1 at this rate, no one can really question it. One never knows if someone is really sick. But productivity and deadlines taking hit."

Betaal - "Good Vicky ! I have a story for you. Let me know what would you do in this case. And I am sure you would do the right thing"

The story goes like this -

"A modern busy executive with family and kids, employed a driver to help with household chores. The driver has a weekly off day, Sunday. One Saturday morning he called in saying his mom is doing some Puja and he needs a days off.

The next Monday he called in to say he is sick.

A week later he called in saying his grandfather died and needs the Saturday off and Monday too. All within a span of one and half months. "

Vicky ! What is your take ? Is the driver telling truth ? He can fall sick, he can lose an elderly relative and has to be there with family mourning. He has to be part of family celebrations too. Should the executive continue to keep him on job ? He has no way to verify all these things. And firing a help over seemingly natural and plausible reasons is not humane. What should he do ?

Vicky did not have to do a lot of thinking. He said - "The driver should be fired. Just because of one fact. The death of grandfather. This is 99.9% of time an excuse used by helps. And if he is fired for telling lies to take off most of the days, the executive would be 99.9% right. And 0.01% wrong. Simple statistics says that this is a lie"

Betaal - "But what if he is not telling a lie ? The guys entire living comes from driving his employers family around".

Vicky - "Yeah ! There is a slim chance of that. Very slim".

Mourning through work

I ve nothing against the fallen hero of Andhra Pradesh (YSR).
Mainly because I do not know him. Not known his work and never lived
in the state he has administered.

Nevertheless, I trust the media outcry, and truly mourn the
loss.

But here comes the sad part. The govt. in this neighboring state
declared holiday for govt. offices as well as schools on a
Friday.

Which is supposed to be a very eventful day for the teachers.
In India it is celebrated as "Teachers Day". I grew up chanting in chorus
with other calss mates "guru bramha guru vishnu gurudeva maheshwara" on this
day. And speaking up in the assembly about the life and work of
Dr. Radhakrishnan.

With the evolving time, last year, the teachers of my LKG going kid, had a
fun day where they presented Bollywood dance numbers to a auditorium full of
4 yr olds and their parents. Fun and full of activities.

This year, none of that. All preparation went in vein because YSR is dead.

And Govt. employees got one holiday to mourn.

Now, this reminds me the events at Toyota in Japan in early nineties.
When the labor union and management could not come to a conclusion on wages
after a long strike, the saddened laborers took up a strikingly the different
approach.

Instead of "idling" to bleed the profit of the company, they decided to
work long long hours and build up inventory so much that, the prices of the
product dropped and created pressure on the management.

That was some counter thinking and act of "expressing sadness through work".

And here we are stuck to doing it by NOT doing work.

Can we switch to mourn / express our humanly emotions of displeasure by working more
than required for a change ? Even if it means dancing to Bollywood numbers and not
chanting "Guru Bramha ... " !