Equal Work Deserves Equal Pay

 Taken from the pages of...
The Mansfield Enterprise
Columnist Loretta Thomas

        Are Worker Worthy of Their Wages...

   You see them dirty muddy blacken with dust; some bent laboring in broiling heat, then, trying to straighten their backs. From sun up to sun down six and seven days a week they toil in factories, mines, quarries, driving trucks and equipment…working hard to finish the task assigned to them. Many do so because they have concluded, “I’ll probably be doing this my whole life…what else am I going to do; we are already at the bottom of the barrel!” To add insult to injury their wages are at poverty level according to American Standards!

  

  If you look at what type of jobs these worker have you will see…they are the ones who help to bring food to our tables, build our roads and bridges, bring electricity gas and oil to us…all the necessary daily needs that we depend on, and they do so in most cases for meager wages with no raise, bonus…and are among the ones living in poverty! Residents in Mansfield with income below 50% of the poverty level is 10.6% whereas, the whole State is 7.2%! This, people, is significant percentages of residents living in poverty!
  
  In some form or the other in all businesses here you will see “EQUALITY”… It has to be especially if there are employees. By law, equal work does deserve equal pay according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 23 where it states: “Everyone who works has the right to just and favorable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family as existence worthy of human dignity.” Sadly, It is evident that most of these Articles remain unfulfilled promises considering how some of the lofty rights mentioned in the declaration works out in everyday life!
  

  Is it fair for me to ask, “Are you aware of the things I’ve mentioned above? Do you know that when we come into work each and everyday, perform and carry out all duties assigned, and when we leave there, we are returning to our families who are hungry cold and living in substandard homes…are you aware we don’t have food for our children to eat?” You see, I know this because…I have seen it…faced it…and yes, lived it! 
  
  Mortgages or rent, insurances, utilities and doctor bills will rip through a paycheck with little left for anything else. That is why we are called…The Working Poor! That is why our children are poor…it is like a vicious cycle from generation to generation…
  

  Cost of living is rising…folks feel as if they’re doing the same job for less pay each year. Is it possible that you as employees can adjust your pay according to the cost of living? Or offer fair incentives, bonuses? Thinking through your compensation strategy will help to retain and motivate good workers cut down on turnovers absenteeism, negative morale, and workers will take pride in their accomplishments!

  In that same Declaration, Article 25 states: “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and his family, including food, clothing housing and medical care.”
  

  We work hard, but still…we can’t make it…we have sore backs but empty purses! Please, consider making adjustments for your loyal faithful and hard workers who have stuck by you through it all…we need you just as you’ve needed us! Don’t you think we are worthy?

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