Ethics at the Workplace

A couple of days ago, a friend of mine complained to me about what he thinks is a disturbing trend, the deteriorating levels of what he termed the four pillars of ethical conduct at the workplace, viz: Honesty, Integrity, Respect and Professionalism. I just continued staring at him without asking him any question but I silently urged him on, for my antenna was now up and running.
He intimated to me how one of his fellow sales people was  paying illegal fees to promote his product (one of the many that particular company handles). His issue: unfairness and/or rather the disregard of all four concepts that define workplace ethics. I thought I got his point clearly but then I also wanted him to look at it in a much simpler and clearer my way.
My pitch:" Well, lapses manifest in all sorts of forms and on all sorts of ethical issues, e.g.

• carrying home that day's issue of the news paper meant for the reception desk
• printing personal documents on that one page of company stationery
• personal phone calls on the company line
• hiding a used cup of coffee under your colleague's desk
• face-booking during official working hours unless it is part of your job description
• special treatment in return for sex, etc."

I looked him straight in the eye for his reaction to this, he simply threw up his hands in the air and concluded that it was like pissing in the wind-- the piss is simply blown back and splashed onto your pants and face.
How much more abuse is the workplace prepared to take?

Uganda Kampala mayor hospitalised after 'tear gas' incident

PHIL'S ISSUES: Police Officers assault ex worker!

PHIL'S ISSUES: Police Officers assault ex worker!: Mr. Kassim Ssuuna had reportedly been pitching camp outside of the gate of his former employers' premises to demand compensation for a w...

Police Officers assault ex worker!

Mr. Kassim Ssuuna had reportedly been pitching camp outside of the gate of his former employers' premises to demand compensation for a workplace accident which he suffered about a year ago when officers of the Uganda Police Force (UPF) assaulted him.
This story has been widely covered in both the print and electronic media in this country but what beats me is the fact that to a great  majority of us, it is business as usual. We are going about our day to day activities as if this kind of happening is non of our business.
Anyone remember Pastor Martin Niemoller (1892-1984)? "When they came for the Socialists, I did not speak out because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me".
Justice at the workplace does not differ much from justice or the absence of it anywhere else, in fact it is to the advantage of our employers that we get treated with dignity for very obvious reasons.
The public, Labour MP's, everybody needs stand up, and in unison to condemn the way some organizations handle employee and industrial relations issues. I am not saying Mukwano Industries is culpable here, for I don't know that yet but there would have been more dignified ways of handling such an issue.

PHIL'S ISSUES: An Explosion?

PHIL'S ISSUES: An Explosion?: The Population Bomb is a book authored by a Stanford University Professor named Paul R. Ehrlich and his wife Ann. In it he argues that popul...

An Explosion?

The Population Bomb is a book authored by a Stanford University Professor named Paul R. Ehrlich and his wife Ann. In it he argues that population growth the world over has to be tamed or else, it is a bomb waiting to go off. Some critics dismissed him as an alarmist seeking attention but wait till you read the following figures.

Before the Industrial revolution, it had taken all of human history up to the year 1800 for the world population to reach 1 billion, the second billion was attained after 130 years(1930), whereas the third billion came in less than 30 years (1959), yes, and we hit the fourth billion in 15 years (1974), we even did better with the fifth which came in 13 years (1987); by the year 2011 we made seven billion!

Closer to home, by the year 1980 Uganda had approximately 12.6 million people, 1990-- 17.7, 2000-- 24.4, 2010-- 34.5 million people, do you get the drift?

Do we have enough resources to support this madness, for that is what it is?

The Gag bill

The parliament of Uganda, in a move that has been criticised by the Opposition and Civil Society organisations, has passed a bill that has so far been described as autocratic, an affront to democratic principles and the catalyst that is beginning the big slide back into the dark days of dictatorship.

The man in the news yet again for not so noble reasons is the not so Honourable Jacob Oulanyah, the Deputy Speaker of the house. He is (dis)credited for a couple of other controversial rulings in the past regarding the passing of unpopular laws.

The Public Order Management Bill seems to be in direct contravention of Article 29 of the constitution which provides for the freedom of assembly and to demonstrate together with others, peacefully and unarmed.

This reminds any student of Uganda's history of the Detention without Trial Act which later caught up with one of its Chief architects-- Grace Ibingira. There is popular belief that history is going to repeat itself and this law is going to eventually haunt its architects and aye-sayers who have since been dubbed voting machines who troop to parliament in large numbers to vote on issues they know nothing about as long as it pleases the powers that be.

Grieve for the Pearl.

Hide and seek

Fate of five Ugandans arrested in the DR Congo hangs in the balance, screamed the title of an article on page 5 of Daily Monitor Monday July 8 issue! On further reading the article it seems the people who are supposed to help sort out this unfortunate incident are doing all their best to pass the buck from one gov't department to the next.

It also helped me bring back to mind the stories coming out of S. Sudan, of how our traders are being maimed and/or killed in the youngest nation in the world and what do our leaders say about it? No sensible answer you can get in the form of an explanation!

So where does the buck stop On the DR Congo arrests? We may never know, so much for protecting our citizen's rights and interests!

Uganda's Budget 2013/2014

Government officials steal donor money meant for rehabilitation of a people who have been subjected to two decades of a questionable war, the tax payer is made to pay back the donors. The donors cut aid and the citizens are subjected to a very heavy tax regime to try and bridge the aid gap. This money if realised as planned, will most likely end up in the pockets of the gov't fat cats!

Only in Uganda does this happen. Ug. needs divine intervention.

Philip Okumu