Phakathi nomkhankaso wakhe wokuba ngumongameli, u-Barack Obama ugxeke izinselelo ezimbili ezibonakala zingahlobene: Izimboni ezithumela imisebenzi yase-US phesheya kwezilwandle kanye nenkinga yethu yokunakekelwa kwezempilo. Kodwa ngaphandle uma ethatha isinyathelo ngokushesha, uMongameli Okhethiwe u-Obama uzobhekana nosongo oluhlanganisa lezi zindlela njengoba izindleko eziphezulu zenza abantu baseMelika bafune usizo lwezempilo phesheya.
Uma kuqhathaniswa nokusetshenziswa kwemali kwezempilo kwamanye amazwe anezimboni, i-US igcina ngokushona. Ku-$6,700 umuntu ngamunye, abantu baseMelika bachitha izikhathi ezimbili kunesilinganiso. Le mali ingase ikufanele ukube besinempilo kakhudlwana.
Kepha imfihlo encane engcolile ukuthi impilo yabantu baseMelika iwela ngokulinganayo maphakathi nephakethe uma kuqhathaniswa namazwe afana neCanada, i-UK neFrance. Iminyaka yokuphila yase-US iphansi, ukufa kwezinsana kuphezulu, futhi amazinga okululama ezinkambisweni zokwelashwa ezijwayelekile amaphakathi ngokumangalisayo.
Ngaphezu kwalokho, alikho elinye izwe elicela izinkampani ukuthi zinikeze umshwalense wezempilo kubantu abaningi bakhona. Ukube ukunakekelwa kwezempilo bekufana nanoma iyiphi enye inkonzo, lezi zinkampani beziyovukela ukungasebenzi kwayo.
Uma insizakalo efanayo ibiza kancane kwelinye izwe, abaphathi bazobhekana nezingcindezi ezinkulu zokuthi bacabangele ukukhipha imali. Manje, ukunakekelwa kwezempilo kubonakala kuyinkimbinkimbi njengoba awukwazi ukukungenisa njengowoyela. Kodwa-ke, amaMelika kanye nezinkampani zaseMelika zisathola izindlela zokudala zokwehlisa izindleko.
Ngo-Agasti 2006, uCarl Garrett, isisebenzi sokugaya esivela eNyakatho Carolina, wavuma ukuthunyelwa eNdiya ukuze ayohlinzwa esinyeni sakhe nasehlombe. Uhambo lwaluzokongela umqashi wakhe u-$50,000.
Esikhundleni sokuboleka u-$20,000 ngokuhlinzwa kwakhe eMelika, uGarrett wayezothola u-$10,000 wokongiwe, kanye nokuvakasha eTaj Mahal kanye nomhlengikazi wangasese wamahora angama-24 ngesikhathi elulama. Uhambo lwakhe lumiswe yinyunyana yabasebenzi i-United Steelworkers, ebinovalo lokuthi lolu hlelo luzoholela ohlelweni lwezempilo olunezigaba ezimbili kubaphathi nabasebenzi.
Ngenkathi lolu hlelo olusakazwa kakhulu lwamiswa, umnyakazo osuka emazingeni obheke ekwelashweni uyakhula. Balinganiselwa ku-750,000 abantu baseMelika abahamba ngo-2007 "bezokuvakasha kwezokwelapha" - ukuvakashela izindawo ezingavamile ngokuhlinzwa kwepulasitiki okungabizi kakhulu kanye nodokotela bamazinyo.
Abanye abahambi bafuna ukuhlinzwa okubucayi njengama-stents enhliziyo nokushintshwa kwe-hip. Izibhedlela zakwamanye amazwe ezilinganiselwa ku-100 zigunyazwe yinhlangano egunyaza izibhedlela zase-US. Eziningi zalezi “zibhedlela eziya kuzo” zinodokotela abaqeqeshwe emazweni aseNtshonalanga futhi ziziqhayisa ngezikhungo ezisezingeni eliphezulu.
Ikheli lezokuvakasha kwezokwelashwa kanye ne-off-shoring, ngendlela ehlanekezelwe, uhlangothi lokuhlinzekwa kwezibalo zokunakekelwa kwezempilo: Abahlinzeki bezempilo base-US, njengodokotela, izibhedlela, izinkampani zomshwalense nezinkampani zemithi, bahlinzeka ngezinsizakalo ngezindleko eziphakeme kakhulu. Kodwa-ke, izinguquko eziningi zokunakekelwa kwezempilo zigxila ohlangothini lwesidingo, ukwandisa ukukhokha ngokubambisana nokusebenzisa ukuguqulwa kwezindleko ukwenza abantu bakhethe kakhudlwana ekusebenziseni kwabo ukunakekelwa kwezempilo.
Indlela ye-demand siders inomqondo othize: Uma ungakukhokheli lokho kuhlolwa okwengeziwe noma inqubo yokuzikhethela ngenxa yokuthi umshwalense uyakukhava, kungani ungawutholi? Nokho alikho elinye izwe elithembele ekudingeni ukulawula izindleko - futhi alikho elichitha imali eningi ukwenza abantu balo babe nempilo enhle njengabaseMelika.
Izinkampani zase-US ngokuqinisekile ziye zaqaphela. I-Mercer Health & Benefits ifundele izinkampani ezintathu ze-Fortune 500 i-off-shoring. I-United Group Programs eFlorida, eqinisekisa amabhizinisi amancane, inikele ngokuthumela iziguli eThailand ukuze ziyothola usizo lwezokwelashwa. Kokubili iBlue Shield kanye ne-Health Net yaseCalifornia manje inikeza umshwalense onenani eliphansi ovumela amalungu ukuthi afune ukunakekelwa e-Mexico.
Izinhlelo zempilo yebhizinisi enye indlela entsha yokulawula izindleko. I-Beacon Mutual Insurance yase-Rhode Island isabalalisa omagazini bezempilo banyanga zonke kubasebenzi, inikeza ukwelulekwa ngokondleka komuntu ngamunye, kanye nezibuyekezo ze-intranethi ezinetimu zanyanga zonke.
Uma kuqhathaniswa nezinkampani ezikhavwe umshwalense ofanayo, i-Beacon Mutual yonga amaphesenti angu-13.6 ekunakekelweni kweziguli, amaphesenti angu-13.3 ekunakekelweni kweziguli ezilaliswe esibhedlela, amaphesenti angu-12.8 ekuxilongeni, amaphesenti angu-4.2 emithini kadokotela, namaphesenti angu-1.7 ezinkambisweni zokuhlinzwa. Inkampani ithi ingxenye yalokhu konga - cishe u-$300 umuntu ngamunye ngonyaka - ohlelweni lwayo lwezempilo.
Izinkampani ezingaphezu kuka-120 zanconywa ngo-2007 yi-Wellness Council, inhlangano engenzi nzuzo egxile ekuphileni kahle emsebenzini. Abasunguli basukela ezinkampanini ezincane kuya kuma-behemoth afana ne-Merrill Lynch ne-IBM, izinhlelo zabo zonga izigidi zamaRandi ngonyaka.
Engqungqutheleni yakamuva ye-CEO, iNhloko entsha yaBasebenzi ka-Obama u-Rahm Emanuel uphonsele izinkampani inselelo yokuthi zisekele izinguquko kwezempilo. Kodwa u-Obama uzibeka engcupheni yokuwa ngemuva kwalezi zikhulu eziphezulu ngaphandle uma efunda empumelelweni yazo.
UMongameli kufanele futhi abheke ezinye izinguquko ohlangothini lokuphakelwa kwezimpahla - noma-ke ukunakekelwa kwezempilo kwabantu baseMelika, njengamathoyizi esiwathenga ngoKhisimusi, kuzokwenyuswa isitembu “okwenziwe eChina.”
