Nigeria Labour Congress Demand for the Review of the National Minimum Wage and General Wage Review

Today, Nigerians who are lucky to have jobs are finding it increasingly difficult, if not impossible, to survive on their monthly pay. The major reason for this is that the pay of the Nigerian worker is not only one of the lowest in the world; it has also not improved as it should in the face of changes in market conditions. Workers in the public sector are particularly worse off.As huge revenues have continued to be acquired from the sweat of workers, the pay and conditions of workers have continued to deteriorate; workers have increasingly been excluded from the wealth created by their labour. In Nigeria, the difference in pay between managers and workers is not only one of the highest in the world: out of every N1 paid as wages, managers collect more than 80 kobo while workers receieve less than 20 kobo; the difference has been increasing over the years.At the same time, owners and managers of banks, top government officials and members of the political class have seen their pay a nd wealth swell ostronomically while workers have had to survive on starvation wages. Workers can no longer survive on what they earn; the situation is made worse by the fact that those who work also have to support family members who form part of the huge army of the unemployed. It has become crystal clear that there is an urgent need for an upward review of the national minimum wage and an upward general review of wages and salaries.History of wage reviews fought by workers This is not the first time that workers would be asking for a general upward review of wages and an increase in the National Minimum Wage. Between 1945 when workers staged the famous 45 days general strike for a Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) and 2007, when the demand won by workers for a 25% general wage through the Ernest Shonekan Wage Consolidation Committee was arbitrarily cut down to 15% by Obasanjo, workers have struggled at 15 times to have wages improved and a national minimum wage legislated upon.But the struggles produced notable victories for workers and the NLC, it was usually the case that: the National Minimum Wage was always set below the minimum wage needed by workers to survive. Because of the inadequacy of the wage, some state governments elected on their own to pay more. Even then, there were also some 1 state governments that pay less than the stipulated national minimum wage. The result was that workers always could not cope. The wage reviews were largely unstructured; sometimes negotiated wages were changed by government through circulars; at other times, government effected unilateral wage increases.Agreements reached with government were sometimes distorted at implementation or not implemented at all by government. For example, the 2000 Wage Review Agreement provided for a further 25per cent wage increase for workers with effect from May 1, 2001, and 15 per cent wage increase with effect from May 1, 2002. This was not implemented. Following industrial dispute over this a 121/2 percent increase rather than the 35 per cent agreement in 2000, was signed in 2003. But in the end, only an increase of between 4 and 12 1/2 per cent was implemented by the Federal Government.Although the Shonekan Committee was set up against this background and recommended a 25% increase in salaries, Obasanjo unilaterally implemented a 15% increase in 2007. Government also failed to abide by the timeframes set out for subsequent negotiations with workers. Workers always had to fight to get government to agree to collective bargaining even when the procedure was agreed in previous negotiations. Today, workers find that they have to fight yet again to get government to agree to negotiate a new National Minimum Wage and a general upward review of wages.Rationale for Upward Wage Review today There are several reasons why there must be an upward review of workers wages today. The consequence of the abdication of the agreed approach to the implementation of the phased-wage increases has been that wages and salaries are today sharply depressed and incapable of meeting the basic needs of most workers. In the last one year, inflation has intensified with the cost of living index in the urban sector increasing by over 14 per cent. The disproportionate increase (20. 9 percent) in the cost of food means that the erosion in the real wages and salaries of workers is alarmingly severe.The process of monetizing and consolidating in-kind benefits which were hitherto not taxed has resulted in an escalation of the tax paid by workers. This has further depressed the real take home pay of workers. 2 All over the world, salary increase in the public sector is underlined by the principle of equity and the need to bridge social inequality in the face of widening economic and social gaps amongst citizens of a country. In Nigeria, while workers’ salaries increased by 15 percent between 2006 and 2007, those of political office holders increased by over 800 percent. The 2008 increase in the compensation of political office holders has further aggravated the disparity (Table 1). On average, their compensation package has been doubled. We need to reduce this disparity for greater equity, productivity and morale. TABLE 1: Salaries of Political Office Holders (Pre and Post Consolidation) S/N Categories 1 Special Assistant to the President; Chief Speech Writer to the President; Chief Press Secretary to the President Members, House of Representatives; Deputy Chief of Staff TTP; Senior Special Assistant, TTP. Ministers of State; Senators; Principal Officers of the House of Representatives; Special advisers TTP.Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives; Minister; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Chief of Staff TTP; National Security Adviser; Chief Economic Adviser; Inspector General of Police; Chairmen, Federal Civil Service Commission, Federal Character Commission, National Salaries, Incomes, & Wag es Commission, Revenue Mobilization Allocation & Fiscal Commission. Deputy President of the Senate; Justices of the Supreme Court; President, Court of Appeal. Speaker of the House of Representatives. HASS (Basic) 626,700 865,200 CONSS* 4,392,012 13,102,402 3 4 1,015,700 13,374,240 1,194,600 15,094,426 5 6 7 1,403,700 15,240,500 1,649,400 16,348,926 Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria ; 1,938,000 21,524,164 President of the Senate; Chief Justice of Nigeria . 8 President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed 2,506,000 24,954,405 Forces of Nigeria . *Source: National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission and Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Abuja 3 In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), Nigeria ought to be paying one of the highest minimum wages, given its resources and level of development.The reality, however, is that the existing minimum wage in Nigeria is one of the lowest in Africa. Table 2 presents the data for Sub-Saharan Africa. The data in the table takes adequate account of the need to adjust the wages to differences in the cost of living or what is called the Purchasing Power Parity (PPP). Table 2: Minimum Annual Wage Levels in African Countries ($USD) Country Minimum Special Notes PPP PPP-Based Wage Factor Minimum Wage Angola 1511 1. 975 2984. 23 Botswana 3011 2. 106 6341. 17 DRC 468 2. 077 972. 04 Kenya 948 2. 534 2402. 3 Lesotho 1080 For Manufacturing 1. 847 1994. 76 Madagascar 336 3. 107 1043. 95 Malawi 407 3 1221. 00 Mozambique 1177 2. 129 2505. 83 Nigeria 550 2. 274 1250. 70 South Africa 2780 Farm Minimum 1. 651 4589. 78 Wage: $975 Swaziland 1369 1. 958 2680. 50 Tanzania 1680 2. 8 4704. 00 Zambia 1147 1. 81 2076. 07 Average 1266 2674. 33 The current national minimum wage of N7,500 is far below the minimum cost of providing basic needs for the worker and his / her immediate family. Our survey shows that today the minimum cost of providing for basic needs is N58,200 (Table 2).This estimate is based on threshold hardship levels in which 6 or 8 people may be forced to live in one or two rooms and endure a dietary and living style that is most rudimentary. Additionally, it should be noted that N18,000 is allegedly spent on the feeding of one prison inmate monthly, while the estimate here is merely N20,000 for the feeding of a family of 6 per month. 4 An examination of the cost of living since the enactment of the National Minimum Wage Act 2000 shows clearly that the cost of living index has risen so much that the real value of the minimum wage set by the law has virtually been wiped out.Employing published data on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) from 2000 till July 2008, and taking into account developments in the overall economy and compensation adjustments since 2000, the minimum wage of workers in 2008 can be computed. This computation shows that in real terms, the minimum wage of workers would have to be adjusted upwards by a minimum factor of 4 in order to maintain the relative position of the least pai d worker in the national compensation structure established in 2000.Thus, the appropriate amount required in 2008 to maintain the real value of the National Minimum Wage set in 2000 would be (N11,213. 52 x 4=N44,856). Table 2: Estimated Monthly Cost of Meeting Basic Needs for a Representative Family * Item Accommodation Utilities a. Electricity b. Water c. Kerosene d. Communication Food Clothing Medical Education Cleaners, Soap and Detergents Entertainment, Recreation Communication Miscellaneous Total Cost (N) 6,000 1,000 500 4,000 2,000 20,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 1,300 and 1,000 1,500 N58,500Our Demands Based on the foregoing Congress demands: (i) A new National Minimum Wage of N52,200. This is the approximate average of the minimum wages when we take into consideration Minimum Annual Wage Levels in African Countries, the minimum cost of providing basic needs for the worker and his / her immediate family and the cost of living data. 5 (ii) that the Federal Government sets up a tripar tite committee as a matter of urgency to negotiate and agree on this, so that the National Minimum Wage Act 2000 can be amended to reflect the new amount.It is instructive to note that current negotiations on fixing a minimum wage for Ghana has recently reached preliminary agreement within the tripartite framework to adopt the basic needs approach in computing the minimum wage. (iii) an amendment to the Act to the effect that the National Minimum Wage law should apply to any establishment employing 20 or more workers, instead of the 50 workers currently stipulated by law. (iv) a general wage review; there is an urgent need to commence negotiations in both the public and private sectors so as to agree on new compensation packages. v) a wage review in the public sector based on the minimum wage computed above. Currently, the least salary in the Civil Service under the Consolidated Civil Service Salary Structure is N133,564 per annum or N11,130 per month. The new salary structure recom mended by the Congress is based on the least salary of N52,200 per month or N626,400 per annum, which is the proposed new national minimum wage. The new Consolidated Salary Structure would then be constructed so as to maintain the existing relativities in the salary structure.Sustainability and Affordability of NLC’s Demands Is the minimum wage proposed by the NLC reasonable, sustainable and affordable? Can the nation pay the new national minimum wage? The answer to both and related questions is an overwhelming YES! It is a resounding YES for the following reasons: (i) An increase in the purchasing power and effective demand of workers will increase the demand for goods and services and translate into growth for the economy. The morale, and therefore, productivity of workers will be greatly enhanced by the wage review. ii) Nigeria earns enough revenues, even with the downward slide in oil prices, to be able to pay. The problem in Nigeria is massive corruption by members of th e political and administrative elite and not lack of resources. To be sure, paying the new minimum wage will require that members of the political class cut their level of stealing of public funds. This will not be a bad thing; in fact, it will be good for the economy. (iii) If the economy can accommodate the huge sums spent on political office holders, it can accommodate a general upward review of wages and a national minimum wage as proposed.In any case, more resources should be devoted to the productive workers in any economy. Apart from political office holders, the profits declared in most areas of the private sector, continue to be massive. Even sectors which are contracting their operations continue to declare huge profits. Therefore, the public and private sectors of the economy are capable of paying higher wages. 6 Framework Proposed for the Negotiations The national minimum wage negotiations should be carried out within the tripartite framework, with workers, NECA and gove rnment represented.The emerging agreement from this negotiation should then be forwarded to the National Assembly as a Draft Amendment to the National Minimum Wage Act, 2000. At the conclusion of the minimum wage negotiation, the public service wage review negotiation should commence between labour and representatives of government, both Federal and States. Private sector negotiations should susequently take place within the existing sectoral framework of collective bargaining. On the general wages review, we wish to call on government to adopt the framework of collective bargaining, with representatives of all public sector employers, whetherFederal or State Governments, as employers, not as governments. Conclusion Congress makes these demands with great patriotism, sensitivity and responsibility. Congress holds that collective bargaining and negotiations with trade unions are sacrosanct and in consonance with the spirit of democracy. Congress calls on government to set up the nece ssary structures for the negotiations without further delay. To delay negotiations will further compound the living conditions of workers of Nigeria in the face of the alarming mass poverty already destroying their lives. February 2009 7

History of Blackpool †growth and decline Essay

For the majority of the 19th century Blackpool was a small fishing village, which received small numbers of upper class visitors who came due to the supposed healing capabilities of the coast, and it’s fresh air. This changed in 1846 with the creation of a railway line going up to Blackpool, which made travel to the area cheap and affordable for the public. The majority of those who decided to visit Blackpool were factory workers and their families who came from cities like Liverpool and Manchester. Due to air travel being very expensive at the time and only the rich could afford to go abroad. Blackpool became the destination to go to for the working class during their holidays. Blackpool recognised their popularity and over the years constructed three new piers to house new attractions. Three new piers were constructed, named the North, Central and South Piers and were constructed in 1863, 1868 and 1893 respectively. The Winter Gardens, which was effectively an indoor mall, was set up in 1878 and housed an opera house and a theatre. The Blackpool Illuminations, which were put up a year later, and the Blackpool Tower, built in 1894, which housed a Ballroom, Circus Hall and an Aquarium, accompanied this. Due to all these attractions Blackpool became a major tourist destination. In 1930 7 million tourists came to the area and this number increased to 17 million in 1950. Blackpool’s Decline Blackpool began to enter its decline period during the mid 20th century onwards. During this time the disposable income and free time of workers started to increase. This combined with cheaper air flight tickets and package holidays meant that people could go abroad for the first time in their lives. France and Spain were the most popular destinations and over the years started to gain more and more tourists. This took away from the number of people visiting Blackpool. As an attempt to claw back tourists hotels and restaurants in the area started to dramatically decrease their prices with the aim of attracting more tourists. This ended up having the opposite effect. While more tourists did come to the area, they were more downmarket than what Blackpool used to receive. The new crowds attracted by Blackpool were seen as antisocial and unpleasant and removed the family friendly nature associated with Blackpool. The loss of families as potential tourists was a major blow to Blackpool and further added to its decline. Blackpool’s Rejuvenation Recently Blackpool has made attempts to restore its status as a popular tourist destination. Winter Gardens was bought from its private owners and brought back into the public market and a contract with Merlin was made to include the Blackpool Tower with its other hosts of amusement parks. Additionally ? 300 million was spent in improving the state of Blackpool’s infrastructure. While the effort is helping Blackpool it isn’t increasing its status as a tourist destination. Instead of entering Rejuvenation Blackpool has entered a state of slowed decline.

What factors have contributed to the rise of prime ministerial power Essay

What factors have contributed to the rise of prime ministerial power - Essay Example This scenario could be attributed to inadequate formal procedure for devolving the powers of the state among the political leaders and civil servants. The prime minister has the duty to watch over, manage and direct the government business. They are responsible for controlling the parliament and the process of drafting the policies (White 88). However, as the party leaders there is an increasing media exposure since the prime ministers are increasingly reporting the progress of the political parties. For example, in some nations like the United Kingdom the prime ministers have assumed unconstitutional powers of chief spokespersons. The media especially television and radio have focused a lot on the prime ministers giving them an opportunity to get in touch with the electorates in order to provide the electorates with the select a leader who will be an effective orator (Strangio, Hart & Walter 264). Therefore, the emerging need to have a prime minister who can communicate effectively has amplified the influence of the prime ministers. The mandates of the prime ministers are clearly stipulated in the laws. The prime minister is the leader of the government operations and is in s/he coordinates the party issues in order to strengthen both the party and the government (White 96). They are responsible for selecting and controlling the operations of the cabinet. Although the roles of the prime ministers are clarified in the constitution, there are day-to-day political issues which require the effort of the executives in order to come up with a quick solution. Prime minister is the senior executive in the government hence s/he is charged with authority to find the required solution because the constitution cannot be amended on a daily basis to provide a solution to the emerging issues (Samuels & Shugart 254). The fact that the prime minister has to make some

The Cross Elasticity of Demand and Indifference Curve Assignment

The Cross Elasticity of Demand and Indifference Curve - Assignment Example Indifference curve depicts equal levels of utility (satisfaction) for a consumer faced with various combinations of goods. There is no preference for one combination versus another as they render the same amount of satisfaction for the consumer. Consumer theory uses indifference curves and budget constraints to produce consumer demand curves. The curves are convex to the origin as a result of diminishing marginal utility. Ans: When the price elasticity of demand is less than one, the demand is inelastic. When the demand is inelastic, a given change in price causes a smaller proportionate change in the quantity demanded. Inelastic demand is for things which do not have a close substitute. When a tax is imposed on the product, the consumer bears the burden of the tax. The more inelastic the demand, the greater financial burden of a tax is placed on the consumer. When the demand is perfectly inelastic, the entire burden of a given tax will be borne by the consumer. Ans: In order to maximize profit, a firm would always try to sell more and more pollution permits and avoid buying permits for own, if possible. At the same time, there will be an effort to improve the efficiency of production to reduce pollution by less waste generation and yet keeping production cost low. Thus, the total cost of pollution abatement would be influenced by the degree of a transaction of pollution permits. For example, if a fir m earns high revenue from trading permits, it would not mind spending a part of the profit in reducing waste generation or carrying out better pollution abatement. Since eventually, it is the environmental groups who would be buying more and number of permits from most of the firms, the firms would be forced to generate less and less waste and the overall cost of pollution abatement will go down till an optimal level of pollution abatement is reached.  

Young Offenders, Crime, and Globalization Essay

Young Offenders, Crime, and Globalization - Essay Example Juvenile delinquency is often an issue of concern among parents, educators, and society in general. A review by Cohn outlines statistics in regards to juvenile delinquency. In the year 2000, juveniles accounted for 17 percent of all arrests and 16 percent of all violent crime arrests in the United States that year. A considerable growth in the number of juvenile violent crime arrests began in the late 1980s and reached its peak in 1994. However, 2000 marked the sixth consecutive year that the rate juvenile arrests for the Violent Crime Index Declined. The timeframe between 1994 and 2000 marked a 41 percent decrease in the juvenile arrest rate, which was the lowest since 1985. The juvenile murder rate also decreased dramatically between 1993 and 2000. The juvenile murder rate in 2000 was at its lowest since the 1960s. In the year 2000, juveniles were involved in 9 percent of murder arrests, 14 percent of aggravated assault arrests, 33 percent of arrests for burglary, 25 percent of rob bery arrests, and 24 percent of arrests for weapons charges. Girls were involved in one-third of all arrests of young people ages 13-15. The racial composition of the juvenile population, in general, was 79 percent white (including Hispanics), 16 percent black, 4 percent Asian/Pacific Islander, and 1 Percent American Indian. Of all juvenile arrests for violent crimes, 55 percent involved white youths and 42 percent blacks. These numbers are extremely disproportionate the racial groups’ representation in the general population. ... In the year 2000, juveniles were involved in 9 percent of murder arrests, 14 percent of aggravated assault arrests, 33 percent of arrests for burglary, 25 percent of robbery arrests, and 24 percent of arrests for weapons charges. Girls were involved in one-third of all arrests of young people ages 13-15. The racial composition of the juvenile population in general was 79 percent white (including Hispanics), 16 percent black, 4 percent Asian/Pacific Islander, and 1 Percent American Indian. Of all juvenile arrests for violent crimes, 55 percent involved white youths and 42 percent blacks. These numbers are extremely disproportionate the racial groups' representation in the general population. Even though the facts point to a decrease in acts of juvenile delinquency, it still remains a cause for concern, and its causes and prevention must be addressed. Another item to consider is that fact that casual factors in juvenile delinquency seem to be consistent throughout the world as far as what the theories are behind the crimes. Therefore, globalization has helped to bring this concept to light. What are the causal factors involved in juvenile delinquency There has been continuous debate and extensive research concerning this question. Some purport that juvenile delinquency is biologically determined, and that anything short of pharmacological intervention has any beneficial effect. Others claim that environment plays the key role in determining whether a young person is likely to commit delinquent acts, and that changes in the environment result in changes in regards to delinquent behavior. Yet another perspective claims that delinquent behavior stems from psychopathological problems that are present due to various factors, and that a combination

Short reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Short reflection - Essay Example Immediately after the function we students of the senior classes divided into groups of 5 each and visited the communities nearby for direct interaction with the members of the community. The security guard at the entrance gate of the community was very cooperative and he took permission from the Community management for our house to house contacts. We were received warmly by most of the residents and they liked our presence for the great cause. We had a printed handout for distribution and the main points covered in it were: 1. Plant a sapling on your wedding anniversary and birthday celebrations of your children. Keep a small identification tag near the sapling and the child should be encouraged to water the plant daily. This is the sure step to make the children love greenery. 2. A sticker with the following message printed in bold letters was given at each house with a request to fix it at a conspicuous place. The messages were (a) Save water and energy (b) Donate school books for the needy. We toured the community for about four hours and covered most of the houses. The underlying principle behind our efforts was to generate awareness amongst people to live in harmony and develop love for

Marketing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Marketing - Assignment Example Students of economics are, of course, aware that in traditional economic theorising, the analysis of the firm and its behaviour is built upon the assumption that firms operate in such a manner as to maximize their profits. Economists, however, do not discount the possibility that there may be other objects of desire that entrepreneurs may pursue and try to maximise, for example, power, a quiet life, prestige, social service, and may be a host of others. But, so far no theory of the firm within the framework of a 'free market' economy has been developed on any one of the above premises. So the theorem of profit maximization continues to remain central to the study of the business firm. And profits can be made by a firm only through selling its products in the market. Market and marketing are essential ingredients in a firm's search for profit. Market positioning and the strategies adopted to gain an advantageous competitive position for selling its product will determine the firm's degree of success in 'maximising' its profit. In this paper we consider a few of the market strategies that firms adopt particularly, those of 'target market' and 'differential advantages' to secure an advantageous position in the market. We shall also discuss alternative marketing strategies and relate all to the market provision of education particularly by local authorities in UK. . . The general definition of a market is a coming together of buyers and sellers to exchange products or services or both and the concept includes both non-profit as well as profit-taking enterprises. Marketing is purposeful interaction in the market by sellers and buyers through exchange. Marketing is seen as activity that is distinct from selling (Fennell, 1987). Philip Kotler (Kotler & Fox, 1995) offers the following: 'Marketing is the analysis, planning, implementation and control of carefully formulated programs designed to bring about voluntary exchanges of values with target markets to achieve institutional objectives. Marketing involves designing the institution's offerings to meet the target markets' needs and desires, and using effective pricing, communication, and distribution to inform, motivate, and service these markets.' (p. 6). Target Market A one sentence description of a target market is that it is the market segment to which a particular product is marketed. It is defined by age, gender and socio-economic grouping. 'Targeting strategy' is usually the selection of the customers the firm wishes to service. The decisions involved in targeting strategy include: which segments to target; how many products to offer; and which products to offer in which segments There are three steps to targeting: namely, market segmentation, target choice and product positioning. And targeting strategy decisions are influenced by: market maturity, diversity of buyers' needs and preferences, strength of the competition and the volume of sales required for profitability Targeting can be selective, for example, focus

Personal and Professional Development Assignment - 1

Personal and Professional Development - Assignment Example The hotel is close to the Crystal Palace Theme Park Maze and is ideal for guests, who wish to â€Å"explore London† and it has â€Å"easy and fast transport† facilities to the city (Queens Hotel Crystal Palace London, 2013). Usually, visitors to London include businesspersons as well as tourists and the guests in the hotel are from the upper middle class group. Being from the educated, upwardly mobile segment, they expect very high quality of service. They also include people from a wide range of ethnic and cultural backgrounds and speak different languages. Though most of them speak good English, we often have guests from France, Germany, and South Korea etc who do not like to speak the language. I am somewhat comfortable with French and German but I do not know Korean. However, we have some staff from Asian countries and thus they are able to handle guests who do not speak English. The hotel has a good restaurant that serves multi cuisine and it is popular among many Londoners. It also has a bar and banquet hall. The hotel always has over 60 percent occupancy and it is rated over 4.8 in commercial sites. Thus, overall the quality expectation of the customers is quite high. Task-1 A. Benefits of Self-Managed Learning to Individuals/Organizations and Various Approaches to It: Employees can benefit from self-managed learning by acquiring higher qualifications that will enable them to handle their jobs better. Thus, they can earn promotions or be selected for higher positions in the same company that require higher qualifications. Besides, people who engage in self-managed learning become more confident and will be able to â€Å"solve problems on their own† (Beitler, 2005, Ch.4 p.8). Therefore, employees who pursue learning even after they are settled in a job will be able to update their knowledge and skills and will perform well in the respective job positions. This will increase their productivity and they will be able to receive all the b enefits that management offers to high performing individuals. In the modern day, with the advent of technology, various changes occur in the workplace and employees need to remain abreast of the developments. Continued self-managed learning or lifelong learning will enable them to acquire knowledge in technology and communication. From an organizational perspective, self managed learning will be highly beneficial as such individuals will be developing their learning without much liability or risk on the part of the company. Acquiring of knowledge by employees will enable them to be better motivated and it becomes advantageous to the organization as such individuals will be able to perform better in the assigned position. This will automatically increase the productivity and profitability of the company. However, evidence suggests that it is better to have a written learning agreement as it will help the employee remain focused and, besides, by incorporating it into the performance appraisal system, the organisation will attain better capability to â€Å"promote, reward, capture, and benefit from individual learning† (Beitler, 2005, Ch.4 p.11). In the modern world, technology offers a wide range of approaches for self managed learning in an organisational environment. In order to determine the right approach one should be able to identify and prioritise the â€Å"

A PROBLEM IN LAND-USE PLANNING ABOUT THE STRIP MINING AND Term Paper

A PROBLEM IN LAND-USE PLANNING ABOUT THE STRIP MINING AND POWER-RELATED USE OF LIGNITE - Term Paper Example With the potential of generating acidic waters, because of exposure to oxidizing atmospheric conditions, it is therefore understandable on the part of environmentalists being cautious. In addition, is the ever-present nature of human health impacts and effects; especially based on their sources of drinking water. It is generally pre-supposed that aquifers and other water systems are inter-connected. Hence, in the case of such mining activities, there is a potential of such delicate systems being polluted. Drinking water (for human consumption as well as animal feeding) would be impacted upon. In addition would be the greater negative effect on the pre-present bio-diversity; affecting negatively on the existing flora and fauna. Air pollution would also be present, especially from the dust spewed and waste materials exposed in such mining processes. Fundamentally so is the fact that while reclamation is possible, it is the long-duration of time that is of concern; further worsened by t he fact that such land is never as fertile and productive as before the mining process itself. Great reasoning is essential before making such a decision that is likely to influence a greater population, as well as surrounding environmental eco-systems. Lignite, as a mineral resource, is also referred to as brown coal, a soft brown sedimentary rock which being combustible, is naturally formed from peat, which has undergone gradual compression. While considered the lowest in rank amongst the fossil fuel types because of its somewhat low heat content, it continues to enjoy considerable attention given the various regional areas in which it is mined. Mined in Europe and North America, as well as Australia and India, as Ghassemi (2001) portrays, lignite is exclusively utilized as a fossil fuel especially in various steam-electric power

Oscar Wildes Aestheticism Essay Example for Free

Oscar Wildes Aestheticism Essay Though Oscar Wilde is the incarnation of the aestheticism schools, we can’t afford to ignore the other artists of the aesthetes. It is imperative that we should give a general introduction to aestheticism in the following paragraphs. Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy that studies the principles of beauty especially in art. Aestheticism is the collection of all the fruits of aesthetics. â€Å"The word ‘aesthetic’ was first found in Aesthetica, appearing as a Latin word, which is the name of two books written by Alexander Baumgarten, 17141762. †(Williams, 2005: 31) Baumgarten believes beauty can be defined as aesthetic, but when it is related to art, the most important part of Baumgarten’s translation of beauty is that beauty is not abstract but can be felt by people through their senses. This translation is the same as the Greek word â€Å"aisthesis†, the original meaning of which is the power of uniting mentally the impressions conveyed by the five physical senses. And in the middle of the 19th century, aesthetic is understood as â€Å"the beautiful†, which is generally related to art. In 1880, the word â€Å"aesthete† was used in a wide range, but contained a derogatory sense. Both the principle and the practice of the aesthetic movement led by Walter Pater were criticized at that time. But the British decadent writers were deeply influenced by Walter Pater. The artists and writers of the aesthetic movement held the view that sensuous pleasure should be provided by arts, not moral or sentimental messages. As a consequence, they did not accept John Ruskin and Matthew Arnold’s utilitarian conception of art as something moral or useful. Instead, they believed that art did not have any didactic purpose; it needed only be beautiful. The aesthetes developed the cult of beauty, which they considered the basic factor in art. In Britain, Oscar Wilde is famous as one of the best representatives of the aesthetes. He believes that art represents nothing but itself, and that art has its own life just as thoughts do.

Psychological Distress Experienced by Medical Students

Psychological Distress Experienced by Medical Students INTRODUCTION The psychological distress of medical students is more commonly associated with stress, anxiety and depression [1]. It is a fact that tertiary medical education is highly stressful due to factors that include academic pressures, obstacles to their goal achievement, environmental changes, life challenges such as transition from school to university and the change in role from student to knowledgeable physician [2,3]. Even though there were studies suggested that some stress in medical school training involve stress, this stressful environment can exert a negative effect on the psychological and physical well-being of the undergraduates [5,6]. The stress can be defined as â€Å"a state of mental or emotional strain or suspense† and also as â€Å"a number of normal reactions of the body (mental, emotional, and physiological) designed for self-preservation† [7]. Stress is also defined as not just a stimulus or a response but rather, it is a process by which we perceive and cope with environmental threats and challenges [8]. On the other hand, anxiety can be defined as â€Å"an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts and physical changes. People with anxiety disorders usually have recurring intrusive thoughts or concerns. They may avoid certain situations out of worry. They may also experience physical symptoms such as sweating, trembling, dizziness or rapid heartbeat† [4]. While depression is more than just sadness. People with depression may experience a lack of interest and pleasure in daily activities, significant weight loss or gain, insomnia or excessive sleeping, lack of ener gy, inability to concentrate, feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt and recurrent thoughts of death or suicide [4]. However, for the sake of simplicity, these three most common condition psychological issues are coined into one term that is ‘stress’ as all of them are closely related [9]. Several studies have revealed that the incidence of stress among medical profession are increasing day by day and medical students have been found to experience higher level of depression and anxiety compared to the general population and to their same age group individuals [10,11,12]. The top ten main stressors found by Yusuf et al. at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) based on scores given by the medical students were all related to academic matters while Wolf et al. listed examination, class-work and financial responsibilities as their main stressor [13,14]. Therefore, it is critical for medical educators to understand the prevalence and causes of student distress, potential adverse personal and professional consequences, and institutional factors that can influence student’s health. It is suggested that an intervention programs could be implemented to reduce the stress levels [14]. OBJECTIVES The review was carried out to address the following questions: What is the prevalence of psychological distress experienced by medical students’? What are the socio demographical factors associated with psychological distress experienced by medical students’? METHODOLOGY 10 keyword were chosen to do the search for this project. Keywords – Malaysia, Medical students, stress, psychological distress, anxiety, depression, emotional disorder, mental health, undergraduates and trainee Literature review was carried out using the following electronic databases: PUBMED, Medline, Science Direct, Up-to-Date and Google scholar databases for articles on medical student’s distress in Malaysia. It was a systemic review of the literatures carried out from October 2014 to February 2015. Inclusion and Exclusion criteria All articles that published data related to stress or psychological distress/health of Malaysian medical students and written in English were eligible for inclusion in this study. The latest articles published since January 2014 was included. From the search, 20 full text articles were retrieved based on the relevance in relation to the topic. In addition, the reference list of the articles retrieved were also checked to find similar articles. RESULT Instrument used There are variety of tools used to assess psychological distress. The tools used will be selected based on elements to be assess. The most common one used for assessment of stress in Malaysian based study is General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) using 12 items or 28 items. The questionnaire was developed by Goldberg in 1978 which measures two important elements. The first one is the inability to carry out normal functions and the appearance of distress. The second is to assess the well-being in a person [15]. Other tools for used includes Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN), Beck’s Depression Inventory (BDI) and Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS). Medical Student Stressor Questionnaire (MSSQ) was used to identify sources of stress or stressor [16]. Prevalence of psychological distress The overall prevalence rate of psychological distress among medical student in Malaysia are range from 14.3% to 56% [17,18]. The highest prevalence rate of 56% was obtained from Salina et al. where they did a survey on 101 medical students in University Malaya (UM). Based on SPIN scores, they conclude that 56% of the medical student who scored 19 or above have higher probability of having social anxiety disorder [18]. While the lowest prevalence of psychological distress with rate of 14.3% was documented by Yusoff et al. from the study among a cohort of University Sains Malaysia (USM) medical students where two cohorts of first year (2008/2009 and 2009/2010 intake) were compared. Cohort 1 was selected based on academic merit while cohort 2 was selected based on academic merit, psychometric assessment and interview performance. Based on GHQ scores, the results indicate that cohort 1 (prevalence rate of 26.3%) experienced more psychological distress compared to cohort 2 (prevalence rat e of 14.3%) indicating that stratification of student selection by using multimodal criteria might better identify medical students with good psychological health [17]. A study on psychological distress by using DASS scores was done by Nikmat et al. among 110 preclinical medical students of University Teknologi Mara (UiTM). The results were classified into mild, moderate, severe and extremely severe. It was further divided into two group which were ‘clinical’ for severe and extremely severe and ‘sub-clinical’ for mild and moderate. Out of 110 students, 5.5% of students had clinical depression, 24.5% clinical anxiety and 7.3% had clinical stress. Other remaining students experienced sub-clinical depression, anxiety and stress with prevalence of 36.4%, 35.5% and 30.0% respectively [21]. Yusoff et al. documented prevalence of depressive symptoms rate by using BDI scale among final year medical students stood at 21.7% [22]. Socio demographic variables Study years Stress among different years of students was studied by Sherina et al, Zaid et al and Yusoff et al. Cumulatively, They found that the stress prevalence for different years of study were varied. According to Sherina et al. based on the study in 2003, there was high prevalence of stress among 1st (48.6%) and 4th (41.4%) year medical students in comparison to students of second, third and final years. The most acceptable explanation was that 1st year student have to adjust to a new environment of medical educations. While the year 4 students whom just in their early days of clinical setting need to adjust their way with hospital setting and undergo clinical examinations which were totally different from pre-clinical years [23]. In addition to that, a study done by Zaid et al. in 2007 seems to support the findings of Sherina et al. with their results of having high prevalence of emotional disorder for the 1st (50%), but rather different for 5th (62.7%) year medical students. The extremel y high score documented by the final year students (5th year) was probably due to high expectations for them to become a competent doctors and to acquire good academic results, whereas the high score for the 1st year students might be because of the effect of stiff competition they faced to enter the medical schools and also due to process of adjustment to the medical education setting [24]. In contrary to that, in 2010 Yusoff et al. found lower stress prevalence in both 1st (26.3%) and final year (21.9%) students. Even other years of study also showed lower stress prevalence with 36.5% for 2nd year, 31.4% for 3rd year and 35.3% for 4th year medical students in comparison to result documented by Sherina et al. and Zaid et al. The probable reason was that 1st year students were at the beginning of their course, full of euphoria and still not yet face difficult subjects which make them less stressful. On the other hand, 5th year students possibly developed skills to manage their studi es and able to cope with stress. According to Yusoff et al. adaptation periods to the new phases of studies and impact of transition could be the reason of high prevalence in 2nd year and 4th year students [14]. Ethnics Although there was no documented significant association between ethnic and psychological distress, Johari et al and Sherina et al. managed to publish the prevalence of psychological distress between the 4 major ethnics in Malaysia. Sherina et al mention that Chinese and other ethnics had prevalence rate of 42.0% and 18.8% respectively, which was lower compared to Indian whom had the highest prevalence (48.1%) followed by the Malays (42.9%) according to Johari et al [23,25]. Gender To date, only few articles were found to study relationship of stress between male and female [14,18,23,24]. As expected, all studies indicate that female students have higher stress level compared to male, although only one; Yusoff et al. was able to achieve significant relationship statistically [20]. Financial problem There are two studies which was conducted inter universities (public universities) by Yusoff et al. and Johari et al. in 2009 and 2011 that highlighted the significant relation between psychological distress and financial difficulties [25,26]. While Radman et al. also obtained similar result in their investigation among private inter universities [27]. Apparently, Zaid et al. whom did similar research in one private medical school did not found any relation between financial issues and psychological distress [24]. Relationship problem Rather surprising fact found by Zaid et al. (2007) which stated that relationship problems with parent, siblings, friends and lecturers were not associated with psychological distress [24]. However, earlier research in 2003 by Sherina et al. did mention that there were significant stress level among medical students having relationship problems, and this fact was supported by Johari et al. in 2009 [23,25]. Apart from that, other types of relationship which can be consider a special relationship (marital and romantic relationship) might help to reduce stress level. As mentioned by Zaid et al. the students whom did not involve in special relationship were found having significantly more stress (51.7%) than (37%) in those who involved [24]. In addition, married students were proved by Johari et al. to be in significantly less stressed compare to single status [25]. Other factors Yusuf et al. in his study involving inter universities medical students, has found that there was a significant relationship between different universities and psychological distress. Perhaps different kind of modules, examination, environment, clinical structures do play a role [26]. While poor general health and younger also identified as significant factors for psychological distress [25,26]. 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