Materials Man

My Palestinian pal has been given his letter for his finalisation of employment, and has had his final redundancy meeting which I attended.  Bassam Haj Ibrahim (Bass or Baz) is our QA and environmental manager and a casualty of our recent round of redundancies. A man, given his Palestinian background, who needs luck now, more than ever. He has an obvious advantage in Middle East employment as Arabic is his first language, so I hope his work search in that direction goes well. Inshallah. Although retrenchment is a tool to use in times such as these, you do wonder at the staff to keep to win work and staff to keep for when work is won. As QA is a fundamental requirement with all/most contracts, who manages QA effectively without a QA manager?

I hear the usual politician blurb about spending to create jobs, well I’m in construction in Scotland and it is not happening, perhaps the statistics on national spending can as usual obfuscate the facts. The facts appear to be TS’s spending is on hold to increase the budget for the new Forth crossing, NIMBYS are blocking renewable energy contracts, in particular windfarms, and every client who can delay a project is doing so to play the “new” marketplace where survival and not margins are the theme. Banks are only lending money to suit themselves. Well capitalism rules so you can’t really argue with a client with a budget. Remember the Golden rule, he who has the gold, rules.

Anyway Bass I am sadder than you will know about your redundancy, as I am a Scottish male and reluctant to show my feelings, but if there is a God, and it seems doubtful given the golden rule and the state of the Palestinian people,  then may your God go with you.

Please keep in touch through this site, so we can all follow your next adventure in life.

Masalama