SA Government proposes salary caps

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Politics/Higher-earners-targeted-in-govt-plan-20101123

Ok so the South African government wants to place a cap on salaries.

Cape Town - The government tabled its new growth path in Parliament on Tuesday, part of which proposes a cap on salaries and bonuses for senior managers and executives earning more than R550 000 a year.

The document, unveiled by Economic Development Minister Ebrahim Patel, also suggests a cap on increases for all those earning more than R20 000 a month.

It proposes "moderate wage settlements" for those earning between R3 000 and R20 000 a month, "possibly to inflation plus a modest real increase", with "inflation-level increases for those earning over R20 000 a month".

This must be a joke. Have they giving this any thought? This sounds more like the minister asked his underpaid, overworked secretary to type up something cause he was to busy with his personal affairs. She's obviously pissed cause she gets paid like R3 000 and the minister's mistress gets more than R20 000, and she has to do all the hard work while the mistress get treated with fancy restaurants and sleeps in satin sheets, well at least for 30 minutes or so.

Well this is not something a hardworking Secretary would type up, she will not minimize her increases or cap her earning potential in any way. The minister must have spent countless hours thinking of the effects on motivation of the employes, the effects on the economy. What exactly is he trying to achieve from this move towards communism. “ to save jobs, create new jobs and address inequality, he said. “

Address inequality? Is he fucking serious? Prices of food, cars and houses will increase more than what he wants salaries to increase by. This will make it more difficult to eat healthy, by roadworthy cars and obtain you own house. The rich people will buy all the houses and just rent them out with annual rent increases more than salary increases.

Save and create jobs? How is it gonna save jobs? It will create jobs for sure, cause it will be better to resign every year and find a better paying job. My job will be an opportunity for someone else and someone else's job will be my opportunity and after 3 or 4 years I'll be back at my old job with a better salary and the cycle can repeat itself until they will bring in a law making it illegal to change jobs without written approval from the government.

People tent to get more pay the harder they work, why would people work harder if they will not be properly recognized. They will loose all motivation and will create a workforce that’s always on a go slow.

The other think the minister didn’t think about is the following. In South Africa over 90% of households employes a domestic worker either full time or part time and they want or expect and even demand their yearly increase and bonuses. They do not give a damn on what increase or bonus we receive and do not understand that their increase or bonuses is directly subject to that received by our selves and we might even be forced to fire or reduce their working times or salaries.

Then there are the strikes of workers not happy with even generous increases, how will the government cope with them? But hey I'm guessing it will be empty promises only to manipulate these people into thinking they are getting only the best.

I believe if you do not agree with something you must be able to give a solution to the problems. Do I have the solutions for poverty or inequality? In short NO. From the beginning of time some people were richer or “better off” than others. Some people start a job get promotions and may even become a member of the company while others joining the same company never gets anywhere. I got my ideas to relieve poverty or inequality but I'm sure there are better ideas or options out there but the minister will never know of them, he doesn't have time to ask or are just to stubborn,

Should the government decide to implement this I hope they have a good solid backup plan. The minister should realize he nor his salaries will not be protected by the government forever.

Love and all

I'm turning 40 this year, that's fucking old but I feel young. Writhing this blog takes me back almost 20 years to a time I needed love and support. I had my family and friends and from them I got more support and love I could ask for. The thing is in times where you are down and out for the count you need that little extra special thing that gives you the strength to fight for life and a future worth living for.

I think that extra special thing is different for everybody, for me though it was my then girlfriend. I think people underestimate the power of young love branding it as a simple crush way to easy. My girlfriend was only 15 at that time, young yea. Nowadays people freak out if their daughters gets little serious with a boyfriend at 15. As a father now I do understand why but I hope I always remember what power that young love has. At 15 she had the strength to deal with my accident and disabilities and stood up for me against her parents but more importantly mine. My parents made it hell for her blaming her even though she was not even in the car or the reason for me being on the trip.

While in rehab the social worker would arrange for disabled people to come give some talk on how life does not end just because you are stuck in a wheelchair. This was done every Wednesday and we had to sit and listen to how these peoples lives continued and how the coped. Now this was all fine except for one thing, the all started of with something in the line off
“I had a wife” (or girlfriend)
“but she left me after the accident as she could not cope”
“but am happily married now to someone else”

It was if we were being prepared for the day our wife's or in my case,girlfriends, will be dumping us. The thing is from the day you hear that you will be disabled for life you worry about exactly that. Family you know will stay your family but your girlfriend can walk away any time especially at the age of 15.

Well she never walked away, she stuck with me, my disabilities and continue to do so today. We got married and had our fair share of financial and family problems and today our marriage is stronger than ever with the addition of our little girl.

Life changed from all about us to all about her. I don't know if its like that for every new parent but for us it changed.