Jobseeker’s Diary

The rich also cry. Just ask Rupert Murdoch. Proof that money is not everything. If I were him though, I’d take my money elsewhere, say Africa. There’re many investment opportunities with prospects of good returns too. He can give Rwanda its first McDonalds, join the budding Real Estate industry or simply get some double-decker buses here. Most of us don’t own cars yet and we do need to get around on a daily basis, right? I know what some of you are thinking. Businesses like these are too small for a man with pockets as deep as Mr Murdoch’s. I agree but then again, it’s not like he needs the money anyway. It would be like a goodwill gesture and he can be assured of one thing. We Africans know how to express our gratitude and our millionaire friend wouldn’t have to worry about being paraded before Parliamentary committees full of sneering of MPs telling him he’s not fit to run one of his own companies. But just in case anyone made noise, a few dollars would go a long way in clearing the tiff. We love our Kitu Kidogo, don’t we? I’ve had my own run in with a moneyed C.E.O this last week and it happens to be my boss. We don’t see him much, which I’m sure is not news to anyone. C.E.Os are “very busy” people although many times, I wonder what they really do. I hope my boss doesn’t read this but I think he spends more time flying First Class to meet other overpaid C.E.Os, having lunch at exclusive restaurants or vacationing somewhere than he does in office. They call it networking and it’s supposed to be in the company’s best interest. I sound jealous, don’t I? Well of course I am but not in a bad way. The perks enjoyed by this lot have inspired me to add one more thing to my Things I must do before I die list. If you run into me checking into the Sheraton or Hilton someday, congratulate me on having “worked hard” enough to run some company. Back to my boss, he summoned me and a few colleagues earlier this week to complete a project and that’s how we ended up in his office which frankly speaking looks more like a living room. It’s spacious, with amazing furniture and this is no exaggeration but I think Barack Obama would feel right at home in it. A large rich desk that can accommodate about six computers, cute desk organisers, a refrigerator which I’m sure is well-stocked, wall to wall carpeting, fresh flowers... I did the maths and I wouldn’t be wrong saying that the cost of the amenities in that single room can pay about 10 employees’ salaries for two months. Compare that to the crappy and congested workspace for the rest of us. The chairs are uncomfortable and need a good wash. Our AC also stopped working about a month ago and we were told we can’t get a new one just yet. Good thing it’s been raining a lot so it’s cool. I don’t want to think about how stuffy and hot it will get once warm weather returns. After reading about May Day matches and protests across the world, I wondered why we didn’t organise a match of our own to let the boss know that we too deserve transport, accommodation and food allowance. Throw in a payrise or bonus for productive employees and also improve our work environment and see if we won’t work our heads and butts off to hit those targets. Our boss is not a bad man but when you live large, you tend to forget about the little people and soldiers who do most, if not all the dirty work. To be continued...