URP
Make-work programmes are worse than outright social security handouts, because people think they’re working when they’re wasting time. - BC Pires
We’ll get back to this quote in a little bit. I got back the internet this past Thursday after not having it for about two weeks. Not having access to the internet when I want it is not as bad as going without current or water, but it’s still quite distressing. You never really know how much you value it till it’s gone.
Anyway, I’ve been dying to share with you something I saw just before school closed for Easter. There’s a primary school near where I live that makes use of a bunch of URP workers. My guess would be about 10 or so of them which is easy to estimate since they’re usually sitting together in the shade talking and laughing scandalously i.e. they hardly ever seem to be working.
So one day I was looking out towards the school and I saw three of them doing work for a change, but the manner in which they were doing it was so ridiculous I couldn’t stop watching. Apparently picking up trash in a school yard is such an intricate and unwieldy assignment that it takes no fewer that three URP women working in tandem to accomplish this task - you’d think they were manning a bob sled or piloting Mr. Solo or something.
So these three people were walking together picking up trash in the school yard after recess. One walked with a garden rake, the next a long-handled dust pan and the last armed herself with a trash can. As they came upon a piece of trash URP Woman A places her dust pan in front of the trash while URP Woman B nudged it into the scoop. URP Woman B then completes the trash removal act by emptying the contents of the scoop into (you guessed it) the trash can carried by URP woman C. Rinse and repeat.
Well I was in awe. I never knew that trash collecting required so much manpower. And to think that I reenslave myself everytime my dogs make a mess in the yard. All kicks aside, there is something so obscene about seeing that the other day. What a complete waste of time, money and manpower. 
Whatever happened to someone walking around with stick and a bag? That’s all it takes! I know that we here in T&T are not as technologically advanced as other countries, but for goodness’ sake we could put together a sharp stick and a bag. And the point isn’t really that they are making a mountain out of a mole hill, it’s that they really don’t have anything to do. This is why I put up that quote from an article that BC Pires wrote
(that can be found here in its entirety). I have to agree with him, this can’t be work. How can this be work? The scary thing is that these women probably think that they’re actually making a honest day’s wage, which if you really think about it really skews the debate on adequate compensation.
So how many URP women does it take to pick up a candy wrapper? The answer is not as funny as you would think.
(Before anyone accuses me of being sexist, I should tell you that all the workers at this school are women.)
9 Responses to “URP”
By bandwagonist on Apr 1, 2008 | Reply
i remember reading an ‘expose’ in one of the dailies some months ago that basically shed some more insight into the whole URP/CEPEP sin-ario… the writer basically realised that it is what it is… Unemployment Relief… it isnt about creating productive results… its about handouts…
By Shivonne on Apr 1, 2008 | Reply
I actually worked URP for a month (seriously) during the vacation after A Levels and before UWI. A friend and I thought we were signing up for a govt. computer course…turns out it was a “student work gang”. But we stuck around and made some money. It was the first “job” for both of us.
I will never understand how that strange thing came about but they had us doing manual work (pulling grass on the side of the road, sanding walls and painting a temple) on certain days, and then on other days we would learn things like dressmaking (keep in mind we were law, engineering and psychology students among other things). This one guy who had a scholarship in UWI was placed on garbage truck duty.
I have to say that it wasn’t all slacking off. We would work really hard, often in the hot sun. We all slept really well for that month I think. When were resting it was because we were tired as hell or there just wasn’t anything for us to do. Sometimes these foremen who could barely speak English would come and yell at us about not doing anything and then they would invent things for us to do (like cleaning up a random patch of grass). I think it had to do with pressure from their superiors. The thing is that just just wasn’t stuff to do on certain days. And on Fridays there would be a cook complete with rum for all.
So that’s my inside story. Twas a kind of surreal experience but I did learn skills I wouldn’t have otherwise (seriously) like a little bit of woodworking and dressmaking. And I was kinda proud when I saw the finished temple that I had helped with. My dad got a kick out of the whole thing, me working hard for my own money and all that. I think it was character-building to some extent.
So wha yuh say? Mandatory work camps for all UWI students?
By TBLP on Apr 2, 2008 | Reply
I remember as a student in high school being organised in class teams and being rostered for the clean up of classes and common rooms after school. It is just wrong that URP workers are needed for this type of work. I think good work of any kind is a great idea and should be part of mandatory community service rather than part of a work-made programme. These programmes must continue to be reinvented to properly harness our man power to more productive small business type ventures in needed sectors e.g. agriculture. It would be a great idea to use such moments to have URP workers put some time into a community garden using some new technologies with a business end selling reduced price food. Would it not be cool to go to the organic farmers market in your village to by fair priced food, enjoy some local food (I am sure those women have good sweet hand and can teach some of the UWI students who need to learn some) and use the funds for the weekly rum cook to fund some entertainment (kaiso, extemo, tassa or any local entertianment by villagers). This will build community, reduce crime feed people, teach skills. Think hard - you could even add on a health fair to such events. Come on, we don’t really need to work that hard to take care of a couple million people on a tropical island.
By Afro Chic on Apr 2, 2008 | Reply
Mani yuh sure is URP and not CEPEP people?
I think URP does only handle construction type projects like fixing pavements and ting.
CEPEP is the pulling grass/painting stones/garbage clean up type people.
But I could be wrong. :S
By jill on Apr 2, 2008 | Reply
what do they pay? i need a summer job! welcome back mani
i am not sure if i am cut out for such backbreaking labour - my delicate skin and all!
By Mani on Apr 3, 2008 | Reply
Bandwagonist, I believe that
Shivonne, doh believe I will fall for that April Fool’s joke you tried to pull on me. YOU worked for URP? lol. Well I had no idea that URP did that sort of thing. I’m sure you worked, but my problem with these people in particular is that they come to the same school day in day out and finish work while the sun is still on its way up and sit and talk for the rest of the day. I’m sure that the school does really have some work for them but it’s definitely not enough to warrant them returning everyday. I say mandatory community service for all UWI students. How that sound?
TBLP, I agree with you. It’s sad to see human potential being squandered in this manner. It’s long been suggested that programmes like CEPEP and URP could be used to grow food etc. I’m not sure that many people have taken note of that.
Nah Afro Chic, I’m 100% sure is URP. I know the supervisor of the group.
Jill, lol. Thanks. Check meh when yuh come back I know a guy who knows a guy who can get you in if you change your mind.
By jill on Apr 4, 2008 | Reply
but if i come back, to make minimum wage that equals Canadian standards i’d have to make $48 tt an hour!! haha :p
By Kayode on Apr 16, 2008 | Reply
Mani, good timing with this entry.
It couldn’t be more than a week ago that I saw something very similar at my school, and it amazed me.
A Cepep gang was passing through, and two women were cleaning an area of the school. One held the broom and another held the scoop. The ironic thing was that just a few yards away, the permanent school groundsman (MTS) was doing the same thing, except that he held both the broom and the scoop himself.
Later on I saw about three of them gathered around a dustbin doing…something. Didn’t stop to look. What struck was the ponderous way they did it, all looking intently down at the bin (and earlier, the scoop) as if they were transporting glass.
It was a kodak moment, but I had no camera on me. I’ll definitely take a shot next time.
The other sad thing about it was that some of the workers (all women as well) were mothers of students at the school. This cycle is a hell of a thing.
By Mani on May 2, 2008 | Reply
Kayode, it’s the exact same thing with the school I was talking about - some of the women have children attending the school.
I don’t know boy, it seems like such a waste of manpower to me.