The world economic recession is hitting very hard indeed. From the US, where it was manufactured, tested, and put into practice, it soon crossed the borders and spread worldwide as was to be expected. Its ripples have even reached Mauritius, although with lesser force and effect.

The greater the economies the harder they have been hit. Airlines are among the most important losers since the number of passengers has dwindled considerably. This also has a direct effect on hotels, especially in countries like Mauritius which depend a great deal on tourism.

One of the tragic consequences of the recession is the loss of jobs. Thousands of millions of workers worldwide have been laid off either because their enterprises have simply closed down or because they are trying to bring down expenses.

Others, like British Airways, are devising other measures which will allow them both to reduce operation costs and safeguard employment with the cooperation of the workers. The company has launched a scheme and an appeal to its employees either to go on voluntary leave without pay or to work without remuneration during a certain period.

The second option seems to be quite reasonable. Workers must collaborate with their employers to beat the crisis. The recession is a global phenomenon which has struck everybody, and a common effort is required. On the other hand, if the workers don’t cooperate, they run the risk of losing their jobs.
They need not work for free over a continuous stretch of time. If they just do 3 days of free service every month, in one year they will have accumulated over one month of work without pay. The sum total of the savings for the company will be tremendous indeed, and will help it keep going, while the workers will be able to keep their jobs.

The experiment might be tried in the other sectors as well in a joint effort to fight the recession. But trade union leaders may be having other agendas. They will prefer to see enterprises closing down to advising workers to undergo sacrifices.