We doth protest too much? It depends where you are on any of the myriads of issues engulfing our country.
This week’s protest march mounted by the Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union with support from other unions was intended to garner national support for the plight of the workers who have begun to receive termination letters from Petrotrin. The three-day march followed the day to rest and reflect last month.
Much smaller protests are also being conducted across the country to draw attention to terrible roads, inadequate water supply and heightened concerns about community safety.
Today, motorists are being urged to show their disapproval of “taxes, fuel prices, poor governance and secret deals” by shutting down major thoroughfares.
Our democracy provides for us to object to anything that we regard as being detrimental to our society, and nothing should stand in the way of our exercising those rights under our constitution.
However, if we are to judge from the recent response to calls for civil disobedience, it is clear that the country is growing tired of repeated calls for protests of one kind or another.
Worst yet, the originators of these protest actions are judged one way or another by the level of support received, a barometer that could be giving the wrong impression about the real level of support for one issue or another.
If we are to draw from the day of “rest and reflection” the response was not what the unions expected and could be the most definitive sign yet that people are not prepared to join in these protests if it affects their livelihoods.
At a time when full employment is essential to meet the challenges of life, most people are reluctant to put their jobs on the line by sacrificing to be part of one protest or another.
Further, these are times when workers must also consider family responsibilities such as children attending school or older relatives.
Also to be considered is the impact of protests and the likelihood that the government of the day will address the changes sought. Instead, we are often caught in the middle of the political contest and become the casualties in the shouting match between the governing party and the opposition.
But it is productivity that is severely affected when massive protests are mounted. And today’s call for the blockage of critical highways raises the level of anxiety across the country, forces the Police Service to deploy to prevent disruption and both government and private sector interests are likely to be severely disrupted.
Both Minister Stuart Young and the Police have issued warnings about blocking the critical arteries of the nation’s highways.
This call for civil disobedience will not result in the kind of changes expected but instead will generate more anxiety at a time when the country is experiencing high levels of stress from criminal activity.
This country does not need any more pressure if it is to respond to the economic and development challenges and set a more sustainable path for the future.