OUTSOURCING MENANCE

The other day, I was returning from Copenhagen Airport after receiving my family from India. The taxi driver is from Northern part of Iraq and in is living in Sweden since 20 years. I found the driver very talkative. And it recollected my days in Cab, wherein certain drivers were so talkative that invoke irritation some times. But this driver was different. He was discussing with me international outsourcing issues. He told me that European companies pay $ 2 per day at Bangladesh to worker for stitching of the clothes and does not provide any social security or facility. Whereas, for the same kind of work, the local cost is $ 100 plus other Government obligated social security and compulsory holidays.
I tried to co-relate the same situation with myself. I am a employee of well known company and working on almost similar pattern. My job is based on project, which always has a deadline. It does not matter if we have holidays or festivity around those deadlines. These projects are outsourced to us by MNCs with their HQ in developed western countries. I have been working in this environment since many years. What I have found, that these companies can not force their employees not to take vacation or work during weekend in order to meet the deadlines. However, these companies enforce the outsourced contractors to meet the dead lines, come what may.

Their employees enjoy the holidays and festivities to fullest, whereas we are required to work during those days. Even if we take a leave, our manager would call to know the status of the work, spoiling the mood of bunking work. We are required to work in major festivals as US is open, but we will not get Christmas holidays, as we don't observe that festival. So we are screwed. Since project has to be completed, we need to stretched ourselves , a bit, but outsourcing company's employees does not stretched. They even mind calling them during their leisure time. You need to say sorry first for the call and than put your problems. If the gentleman is in good beer mood, he will listen else yell at you for disturbing him.

Most of the time, our managers also agree to these MNCs and force their team to work during holidays, else they have right not to recommend performance linked bonus. Thus outsourced team neither enjoy work nor holidays or personal moments. They are always under pressure of performance. The worst situation is we are required to work during their office time, so most the team work half day / night or during night. This leads to serious health problem and impact circadian rhythm.
My one of the colleague is asking for a transfer from one city to another and her request is not granted, only because these big MNCs does not want her to relocate and our Managers also waggle like a dog's tail.
I feel that these western countries are treating us like a resource and our political leaders don't do anything to create jobs locally.

We The Indians

In Swedish TV channel, a program is broadcasted on Australian Border Security. This program highlights about the tough job of immigration department at airport, arrival visa interviews, raid on illegal immigrants and prevent smuggling . The program shows the passengers who are caught submitting false declaration about the goods they are carrying in their baggage from their own country to Australia.

I usually watch this program, not as a choice, but as compulsion as no other program is aired in English at that time. The security personals catch many passengers and interview them. Large number of passengers are caught carrying food items. The commentator of the program, exaggerate the food items in such a way that it looks like that somebody is caught carrying a bomb with intentions to bombard Sydney.

A British woman was caught carrying one banana and three apples. The narrator of the program described those food items as very dangerous items as banana and apple can spoil the soil of beautiful Australia. The woman accepted her mistake for not declaring the food items and paid the penalty of AUD 220. However, she didn't like the way security officer behaved with her.

There are other instances where other foreign nationals were caught and ordered to pay penalties for various non declared items like food items, seeds, weapons, cigarettes etc.

Similarly an Indian couple was caught for non declaration of food items. Their baggage was full of pickles, spices, sweets , namkeen etc and the couple did not mention that in declaration form. The man started arguing with the security officer that he did not take the declaration seriously. In his arguments he also said we 'Indians' are habitual of taking such things lightly. We 'Indians' do not read the legal things carefully. While doing meaning less argument with the security team, he was saying all the bad things about Indians and Indianization. When security team did not consider his pleas, than the man declared that he is a heart surgeon in India and should be taken leniently. His wife who was standing silently, all of sudden started coughing and said she was not well and had fever. Thus security should show mercy on her. This also did not impress security officer and they confiscated all food items and imposed the penalty of AUD 220. Watch this video here ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJHbbAQmpJQ

The incident looks small, but in this process the couple has insulted the entire Indian society. Since Indians take all things casually, they are not civilized and do not observe law, that security force will see all Indians with suspicion. That couple does not know how much damage they have done to us. Such persons have no right to speak on behalf of the entire race. The couple also tried to show that they are respectable citizens in India by disclosing the professions. Do respectable citizens behave in this manner?

While watching that program, nationals from other countries did not speak any thing about their race or society or habits in general. Though they were annoyed but always admitted that it was their own mistake and not of Britishers, Chinese or Indonesian.

When will we learn to admit our mistakes and not blame our Indianization? We need to respect our own race and culture, else how the others will respect India and Indianization.