Retirees not being allowed to retire stymieing the elevation of qualified young people

Jun 24, 2019 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,
I pen this letter as a frustrated youth. I am frustrated because I find myself among the pool of youths who work fervently to upgrade myself and still all my efforts seem futile; for with all my qualifications I lay stagnant in my position at work while my superiors who are less qualified and over the retirement age get new contract offers and positions created for them even before the present contract they have expires when they lack my calibre of qualifications.
Firstly, let me pause to state that I gained an ounce of hope when the Public Service got a new Minister who saw the need to let go of some of the retired workers to make room for young talent; but as we read daily, we can predict that this decision will abruptly be reversed.
However, I would implore that the parties involved in reversing this decision take a careful look at the productivity of the Ministries and sections of the Public Service with these seasoned workers. I am not debating the fact that these workers have experience that can benefit us but I also advocate for inclusion for our youths. Let us enjoy the same benefits that these workers once had. Give us the opportunity to evolve in the Public Sector and add our expertise. Or is it a case where these retired workers are indispensable?
Secondly, I will return to address the stagnancy of youths in my Ministry. Let me state as a concerned staff member that I find it very disturbing that our Human Resource Manager, a person who my superiors know is not capable of efficiently executing her duties because of her age and her unfamiliarity with the labour laws, is even supposed to be on some vacation but she is at work.
Acts like this hinders her successor from having the opportunity to act in her stead while she enjoys the rest required. Again I ask are the retired workers indispensable? It is this same manager who is supposed to be completing her contract for she is a retired worker but instead she has received another contract even before this present contract matures. Only recently was a new Standard Operating Procedure circulated to have a parallel position of Principal Personnel Officer created to facilitate the new contract of this worker.
I close by citing a quote from a Human Resource Management text used by The Open University of Hong Kong which states that “in a matter of approximately ten years over 40% of the US workforce would retire and there would not be enough younger workers to take the jobs once held by the retire workforce.”
Further, recent studies conducted by The American society of Training and Development also confirms that in a matter of 20 years when 60 million Americans retire only 40 million workers will replace them. Editor, this fact should be considered by our leaders and decision makers, especially since, as a nation we are relatively small and compared to the US our workforce is just about a drop in the ocean; how will our retirees get pension if we lack the capacity to gain the required workforce to lend support in the form of their contributions.
Regards,
Concerned Staffer

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