Government should respect union leaders

Editor | Wednesday April 7, 2010 00:00

Apparently, his principals at Local Government felt that Baeng's participation at a political party event might offend the standing orders. This is downright flimsy and ridiculous to say the least. Government officials should be able to differentiate between the role played by union leaders even if they are civil servants. If union leaders cannot be invited by registered political parties, then who will take them seriously? Unions have lately taken a giant step of uniting, and government above all else should demonstrate the maturity to recognise and encourage unions to play their role effectively without any hindrance.

With regards to this matter we sincerely hope that ministry officials will rein-in the overzealous and petty officials who tried to gag Baeng. Unions should also be alert and demand for transparent talks with government to ensure that this kind of treatment is never repeated.

                                                                                         Easter holidays

The Easter holidays have passed and we hope that many of us have been rejuvenated by four days of rest. The Christians in our midst must be feeling a closer connection and growth in their faith after a period that calls for re-examination of one's faith. We can only hope that the blessings in our society will be bountiful.

This time around, the Easter holidays came slightly earlier and with more rain. Although the rains might have come too late for those who had not ploughed in their Masimo, rainwater is always useful even if it comes after a ploughing season. The water will improve the pastures and fill-up communal and public dams that have dried up. We believe the good rains that have been received across the country will go a long way in improving the dam levels, which have altogether not been impressive in recent times.

At another level, Easter, although a religious holiday, is ironically a peak period for criminals and road accidents that often lead to fatalities.

However, the number of road fatalities has decreased this year, a remarkable improvement from the two digit figures of yesteryears. Police reports indicate that a total of eight lives were lost on our roads during this period. Considering that a number of highways are still under construction and that motorists had to contend with reduced visibility caused by the generous rains, we should praise our traffic officers as well as the drivers themselves for their vigilance in saving lives this Easter. As the accident record continues to improve with the years, it seems clear that the message is getting across and hopefully, soon enough, the zero loss of lives target on our roads will become a reality.

                                                                             Today's thought                                      'I do not know what tomorrow holds, but I know who holds tomorrow.'                                                                                 - Anon