SOS for a better work ethic

Even in the USA, the ‘land of opportunity’, whole towns and communities have crumbled as joblessness has increased. This, according to political analysts, was one of the decisive factors which determined the outcome of recent USA presidential elections.

While a number of factors contribute to local unemployment levels, there is one major issue that we must acknowledge, one ill which we ourselves can remedy. It is our attitude to our work and our rate of productivity - in short, our work ethic. Citizens complain ceaselessly about the slowness of state agencies to implement strategies that will result in efficient and timely delivery of service.

There can be no denying that there are communities which suffer from a shortage of water or from uncertain water schedules; roads which continue to deteriorate because of poor maintenance; healthcare institutions where shortages and long delays are the norm; schools which do not afford the most vulnerable of our children the opportunities to which every child should have a right; politicians who make grandiose promises to improve the lives of the citizenry but whose promise never materialise after elections are over; highways which continue to be killing strips for want of consistent and effective policing and which breed a proliferation of irresponsible drivers who glorify in their ability to ‘beat the system’.

The debate over the wisdom of the establishment of a Sandals resort in Tobago must take into consideration our perceptions of what tourism as a vibrant industry entails. The fact is that our neighbours in Jamaica, St Lucia, Grenada, Barbados, Antigua and the Bahamas have understood that tourism is an industry where excellence is the required norm and that a successful tourist industry impacts upon, and indeed depends upon, several other sectors of the population.

Agricultural production underpins the availability of top quality, fresh, wholesome food upon which resorts like Sandals depend. They cannot flourish without island-wide safe and efficient transportation and qualified, knowledgeable guides.

Host countries must ensure well-maintained sites and facilities and must be constantly alert to the possibility of providing creative and innovative attractions unique to the Caribbean environment and culture. At the heart of all of these, however, is an attitude of dedication to and pride in the service offered by providers, at all levels and in all sectors of this industry. There can be no shortcuts in the training and regular upgrading of staff and in the provision of decent and just wages to them.

If we as a nation are to survive the perils of sliding global economies, we must, like the honest thief of today’s Gospel, look deeply into our national soul. It is up to each of us to ensure that true productivity becomes our business and that in serving others, we also serve the Lord of all creation.