To reduce unemployment, private/public sector employers must reduce working hours to 8 and reduce salary proportionately. It will reduce mental and physical stress on the employees and increase employment opportunities for educated and unemployed youth. If purchasing power increases, economic growth can be faster. Purchasing power will increase if employment increases. For example, persons earning Rs. 1 lakh/month will not spend even 50% of his income on day to day necessities. However if the same Rs 1 lakh is paid to 3 persons, they will spend at least 70% of it on day to day necessities.
With 7th pay implementation, government and semi-government salaries have seen massive hikes. Job security and decent salary are available to government servants, but not to private sector and unorganised sectors. Performance evaluation and curbing corruption in government servants should be implemented so that public money is utilized judiciously.
Moreover due to computerization, manpower requirement is reduced. Opportunities created in new areas is not commensurate with displacement of labour in traditional businesses. If all over India, organized private sector adopts a policy of limited working hours and moderate salary, then more employment opportunities can be created, health of employees will be good and purchasing power will be created in more number of people rather than a select few.
Rajendra L. Bhobe, Panaji
