Lack of Social Dialogue and Justice Laid Bare?

But our society, also appears to lack one or two important values; it lacks faith in the power of social dialogue and justice, especially, how to effectively identify these problems and come up with solutions that should be, in any scenario, neither permanent nor cast in iron.

Social Dialogue Problem Laid Bare

The social dialogue problem issue, was laid bare and has been the main cause for a large group in society protesting, opposing, criticising and generally being at odds with the government regarding those concealed plans and national policies, put together and announced as part of the Covid-19 unlocking the Rock measures, which started, with the Line Wall Rd project and has snowballed since!

The government, did not consult its main social partners, the public, on what it was thinking, planning and doing when this information, should have been in the public domain, with parallel consultation and discussions. Particularly, regarding the effects to people’s lives, by these and other government short to long term social and economic measures, will have on the economy and on the community at large?

No government, no matter how wise they think they are, can professes to believe in the principle of social dialogue if it fails to uphold it at regular intervals.

In general terms, whatever decision are taken, we will all have to learn to accept it and own it. This until those same decisions, becomes too heavy to carry or until circumstances change or go beyond our control in a socioeconomic environment. Or if things evolve into a scenario, which is not conducive to decisions taken in any given time and introduced to serve a particular purpose, whatever that may be?

Decisions, all of them, be it one like Line Wall Rd or Brexit related, ‘NEED to be TAKEN’ with the full participation of the stakeholders in all interested sectors. Nevertheless, these solutions must be legitimate and cannot stem from ideological speeches or political partisan rhetoric and certainly not for any short to long term personal gain!

Society Under the Political Surgeon’s Knife Economic and Social Difficulties Need Solutions

Commenting on the latter point from another perspective. Just think, when major or minor surgery is carried out at the hospital, it’s a medical procedure conducted in the full knowledge that the patient will become once again healthy after a period of convalescence, but patient would know exactly what he or she is getting themselves into before they go under the surgeon’s knife and of the potential consequences?

Society, now appears to be under the political surgeon’s knife and going through some major exploratory surgery without explanation and potential consequences… to all of us!

Gibraltar’s economic and social difficulties need solutions rather than finding someone to blame. In fact, blame, is apportioned by people on election day, until then, we must work and find solutions?

Those in the political arena tend to point fingers at each other while making it more difficult for each other to obtain positive results for the citizens of this small nation of ours. Workers without decent work cannot, and a growing number will not, have their meals on the table at the end of the day if Gibraltar suffer a real decline in its competitiveness, compared with other countries.

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21-07-2020 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR