The Cuban Revolt isn’t helping the world. The worldwide financial crisis is doing worse with it. March 2011, over half a million state workers in Cuba will be let go by the government; along with the economic and social disaster Cuba is already in. The “Cuban model” was said by Castro a week before the announcement to not be working anymore to Jeffery Goldberg, Atlantic media reporter. Cuba’s problems go a lot deeper than just government employees as the very last communist system within the world. This is why many think just laying off these individuals won’t help at all.
Cuban communist party abandons workers
More than half a million Cuban public sector workers will soon be laid off by the government. The hope is that more private corporations will pick up the workers in order to help the economy grow better. The NY Times reports that Cuba’s communist system lacks the resiliency to deal with the aftermath of the global financial crisis and a parade of devastating hurricanes in 2008. Citizens have rice shortages while sugar crops failed and there is no more tourism. Cuban Workers’ Central said that it is true the economy is terrible which is why the changes have to happen as soon as possible in a statement on Monday.
Working with slackers
The Cuban layoffs will initially focus on overpaid, unproductive and undisciplined workers, according to an internal Cuban Communist Party document obtained by the Associated Press. Workers at Cuba’s ministries of sugar, public health, tourism and agriculture will be the first to go. Fired workers will be encouraged by Cuban Workers’ Central to form private cooperatives. The government could be doing what it can to help this. It will do this by getting rid of foreign-run businesses and joint ventures. Little experience, low skill levels and a lack of initiative can be the three things Cubans may have the hardest time with when working on their own.
Cuba has got to be kidding
There is one big concern Cuban experts still have. This concern is that fired government workers will not really be absorbed by the private sector. Jaime Suchlicki, director of the Institute for Cuban Studies at the University of Miami, told the Wall Street Journal that fired workers have nowhere else to turn. “They won’t be absorbed by the private sector because there is no private sector to absorb them,” he said. Other experts say Cubans who want to start a business face high taxes, lack of credit and foreign exchange, bans on advertising and burdensome government regulations. The government acknowledged this and made a list of “authorized” employment which includes carpenter, piñata salesman, music teacher and toy repairman.
New York Times
nytimes.com/2010/09/14/world/americas/14cuba.html?_r=1 and hp
Associated Press
google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ipe0no99xWr_oUrAP-q6PnKLj8XgD9I7O0BO0
Wall Street Journal
online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704190704575489932181245938.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_LEFTTopStories
