Everybody know that today is world labor day. And if you want to know the history and geography about this day, you can head to the Wikipedia article on the same by clicking here. But I am here with a different message. Especially to the younger generation of so called "professionals" working for corporates.
Who is a worker? Anyone who is not the owner of a business is a worker. Even owners of smaller business like salon shops, iron (laundry) shops etc are workers in proper sense. In that aspect, we are all workers. We are all labors. Don't let your 5 digit salary make you feel that you are different from those who collect garbage or lay down the roads in scorching sun. You are still a labor.
Most of the IT professionals, while interacting with a plumber or carpenter, don't think they are one of their own kind. They isolate themselves thinking they are uneducated, low class while themselves educated, high/upper-middle class. This is a very dangerous mindset. Your salaries won't define who you are. Your nature of work defines who you are.
Let us take a typical day...
You wake up from your bed made by carpenters.
Your bedsheets by textile mill workers.
You go to bathroom constructed by construction workers and plumbers.
You eat food produced by farmers.
You wear shoes made by cobblers.
You lock your door with locks made by blacksmiths.
You drive a car or take a bus manufactured by mechanics.
You travel on the road laid by labors.
Your office is maintained by housekeeping people.
Your office is guarded by security people.
Your network cables are laid by labors.
Electricity and air-condition maintained by electricians.
Your PC manufactured by technicians.
Without all these, you can't work. You can't even live! And remember, you are not the owner of any of the above mentioned services. You are just getting benefited by the services.
You too are one of the labors making the world better.
You are the one who make people's life easy with ATMs.
Your applications make it easy for people to apply for exams.
Your work makes exam/election results readily available.
You create options to book tickets and pay bills from home.
You save nature by reducing paper works to mouse clicks.
You make it possible for people to connect with each other.
You work to trace cyber-criminals.
And the list goes on.
So be proud that you are also part of the work force like everyone around you. But you also need to learn from valuable lessons from the same people whom you despise.
1. Unity
You should stay united. When salaries are not paid properly for some new joinees, don't take it easy as market trend. Remember, the mill workers fighting for the benefits of temporary workers. When someone is fired for no good reason, don't console yourself saying "Thank God! It is not me!" Instead, stand united for his cause. Who knows, when your turn of getting fired will come? Learn these lessons from the workers around you. Nobody can mess with them and walk safely. Their fellow workers will gather like swarms of bees to make them repent and apologize. The same spirit should come to us. That will make us stronger. Corporate CEOs and HRs should know that we are not second to anybody when it comes to our rights.
2. Modesty
Don't allow your high salaries decide how you live. You should be the one who decide how your money is spent. Don't become dependent on too many luxuries of life. Imagine, if we all use public transport and stop using ACs and invertors, how much fuel and electricity can be saved! Invertors consume more power. While the rich are watching IPL with invertor, poor children are struggling with candles to study. Your cozy apartments, luxury cars, LCD TV etc won't bring you happiness. You are just a recession away from those people living modest life. For them it is the normal life. But when you fall, you can't tolerate the ground reality. So it is better to stay at ground than to fly like a plastic bag carried by wind.
3. Humility
Treat people not according to their economic status or educational qualification. Treat them according to what their character is. Treating a human with dignity and respect, we need to learn from them. For example, a construction worker respects teacher of his son more than us. A taxi-driver respects a doctor more than us. You may be an onsite return. You may have more degrees. You earn more money. But your behavior is not like that. Don't put yourself above everyone in everything.
So, this May 1st stuff is not for "them". It is for "us". We as workers, are the force that builds and sustains this world. So let us leave behind corporate fed "elite" mindset and embrace our fellow workers, united in thoughts and deeds.
Who is a worker? Anyone who is not the owner of a business is a worker. Even owners of smaller business like salon shops, iron (laundry) shops etc are workers in proper sense. In that aspect, we are all workers. We are all labors. Don't let your 5 digit salary make you feel that you are different from those who collect garbage or lay down the roads in scorching sun. You are still a labor.
Most of the IT professionals, while interacting with a plumber or carpenter, don't think they are one of their own kind. They isolate themselves thinking they are uneducated, low class while themselves educated, high/upper-middle class. This is a very dangerous mindset. Your salaries won't define who you are. Your nature of work defines who you are.
Let us take a typical day...
You wake up from your bed made by carpenters.
Your bedsheets by textile mill workers.
You go to bathroom constructed by construction workers and plumbers.
You eat food produced by farmers.
You wear shoes made by cobblers.
You lock your door with locks made by blacksmiths.
You drive a car or take a bus manufactured by mechanics.
You travel on the road laid by labors.
Your office is maintained by housekeeping people.
Your office is guarded by security people.
Your network cables are laid by labors.
Electricity and air-condition maintained by electricians.
Your PC manufactured by technicians.
 |
| Your .NET code can't build this water tank! |
You too are one of the labors making the world better.
You are the one who make people's life easy with ATMs.
Your applications make it easy for people to apply for exams.
Your work makes exam/election results readily available.
You create options to book tickets and pay bills from home.
You save nature by reducing paper works to mouse clicks.
You make it possible for people to connect with each other.
You work to trace cyber-criminals.
And the list goes on.
So be proud that you are also part of the work force like everyone around you. But you also need to learn from valuable lessons from the same people whom you despise.
1. Unity
You should stay united. When salaries are not paid properly for some new joinees, don't take it easy as market trend. Remember, the mill workers fighting for the benefits of temporary workers. When someone is fired for no good reason, don't console yourself saying "Thank God! It is not me!" Instead, stand united for his cause. Who knows, when your turn of getting fired will come? Learn these lessons from the workers around you. Nobody can mess with them and walk safely. Their fellow workers will gather like swarms of bees to make them repent and apologize. The same spirit should come to us. That will make us stronger. Corporate CEOs and HRs should know that we are not second to anybody when it comes to our rights.
2. Modesty
Don't allow your high salaries decide how you live. You should be the one who decide how your money is spent. Don't become dependent on too many luxuries of life. Imagine, if we all use public transport and stop using ACs and invertors, how much fuel and electricity can be saved! Invertors consume more power. While the rich are watching IPL with invertor, poor children are struggling with candles to study. Your cozy apartments, luxury cars, LCD TV etc won't bring you happiness. You are just a recession away from those people living modest life. For them it is the normal life. But when you fall, you can't tolerate the ground reality. So it is better to stay at ground than to fly like a plastic bag carried by wind.
3. Humility
Treat people not according to their economic status or educational qualification. Treat them according to what their character is. Treating a human with dignity and respect, we need to learn from them. For example, a construction worker respects teacher of his son more than us. A taxi-driver respects a doctor more than us. You may be an onsite return. You may have more degrees. You earn more money. But your behavior is not like that. Don't put yourself above everyone in everything.
So, this May 1st stuff is not for "them". It is for "us". We as workers, are the force that builds and sustains this world. So let us leave behind corporate fed "elite" mindset and embrace our fellow workers, united in thoughts and deeds.
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