How to transform the unemployed into hungry unemployed
Imagine a large room with 12 chairs, o-shape and in the middle of that room. Adult men and women sit on those chairs facing each other. One of the men overcomes complexes and comes up saying, “I am Volod, 42-year-old, former engineer. Now I am unemployed…” His words are followed by silence for a while. Faces of all people show shame for being unemployed. This man looks at a beautiful woman in front of him and continues, “I was unemployed even in my should, I was useless as I was receiving 18000 drams unemployment benefit, which I was using for a luxury life without even thinking about a job. I was living my life with a psychology of unemployed, on the account of the taxpayers’ money.” As he notices others listening to him with great attention, he continues, “However, one day the government, together with the parliament, deprived me of that 18 thousand drams.
They did it for my sake. They sent me here, to a government psychologist, and I was cured. Due to the government’s brave decision, my cousin, neighbor, many other people and me do not receive 18 thousand drams unemployment payment anymore. I do not have a psychology of a citizen who lives on welfare any more. I have overcome that complex.” People applaud. Newcomers to this session are envious with Volod. Even though they have made the first step as they do not receive that social payment either, they have not overcome their complexes yet.
This is not an American psychologist’s treatment scenario. This is possibility for Armenia. The reason why this is possible is that by adopting the new law on unemployment, the government committed a crime as we found out that the 18000 drams they were paying to the unemployed as monthly insurance was a huge amount of money. This is such “great” amount that the unemployed could live with that money pretty well and even not think about looking for a job. Government representatives are introducing this decision as a great move to help their people.
For example, MP Hermine Naghdalyan told 168 Zham that by adopting the new law on unemployment the government made a move not to help the unemployment stay addicted to the social security payment but get a second professional and go back to the job market. “The law on unemployment is forcing people to work but not stay addicted to social payments. We need to get rid of the complexes of welfare-receivers, which I find very important,” said Hermine Naghdalyan.
After this move and the way they “sell” their decision to the society, we will not be surprised if they offer free seminars to help the unemployed to get rid of the “complex of the unemployed,” as Hermine Naghdalyan branded it. After all this, Volod will go to do general labor job and will remember the days when he was an engineer. However, he will be the same unemployed, but without the complex of unemployment, and indeed poorer.
Starting January 1st, 2014, unemployed people will not receive unemployment insurance. This decision was adopted, even though there were many people who opposed to it. In all developed countries there are debates on unemployment payments. For example, in the United States taxpayers are not happy that they work, pay taxes, and the unemployed and homeless receive 1000 welfare payment and other benefits per month. They have reasons to complain for because in the United States it is possible to survive with that 1000 dollars. Accordingly, there may be people who prefer not to work and receive that money every month. For this kind of people there is need for change in psychology. However, in Armenia it is even funny to think about it because for that 18000 one can buy 6 kilograms of beef meat only. This amount can be used to pay a monthly internet bill and buy cigarettes, which may be enough for adult men to sit at home and not think about finding a job.
This helps the government solve two problems. First, this will save officials more money to spend on luxury hotels during their trips, pay for private jets, etc. Second, this will help them reduce the official unemployment rate as people will not be able to register as unemployed.
In fact the psychology that needs to be changed in Armenia is that of state officials but not people because state officials are paid by public money to work, but in fact they don’t do anything.
Officials receive salaries, run businesses on the side, get benefits and have service cars paid by public budget, and even become professionals in the Angry Birds game… The economic activity is reducing, problems are becoming more complicated, emigration rates are growing like a rolling snowball, but the government does nothing to help its own people.
To change officials’ psychology, I would propose taking their salaries away or hire state officials by contract. Accordingly, they could be paid according of the volume of the job they do and the value they add. In fact officials could be paid for developing the economy and improving infrastructure, and if they fail and emigration continues growing, they would not receive any payment. This would be good stimulus for them and could really change their psychology by forcing them to work.
This recommendation may seem nonsense but it fully complies with the logic of this government: deprive of financial benefits to stimulate work. If in the US it is the unemployed that live on the account of taxpayers, in Armenia it is the state officials that waste taxpayers’ money for doing nothing. In Armenia to pay one officials costs more than a dozen of unemployed. Indeed the government raised the salaries of state officials.
By explain the government’s decision MP Hermine Naghdalyan compared it with a “pump” that forces people to work. Let’s not forget that if a pump forces water from one end, in fact the water goes to the other end. In this case the officials are in the other end of the pump and receive more benefits and financial compensation (again for doing nothing).
By Babken Tunyan
