How do you define following, 'right to gather' and right to Meet/ings / participate with no interference'?

i read today that the officials in charge of the place (in Kirulapona?) that the JO's May rally planning to be held, all of a sudden refused to give the permission for the event. I guess the permission was requested and was granted officially (?) or unofficially. Am i right?

Now what i m asking here is, according to what 'right or rule' they have decided to do so?

what other place they have requested and given instead? 

What is 'may day', according to your level of awareness?

Is it a local political term specific only to this country region, or a particular continent?

It is a day people celebrate globally

How do you analyze the right of 'right to gather', equal rights, equity?

Do not look at ‘May day’ in a political perspective’.

It is a day people (workers together with all types of fighters , leaders) have won after facing indiscernible number of sufferings.

Remove all political glasses you are wearing and look at it as a day that you must do something specific to address or to solve any issues the working class people face or the person called ‘laborer’ face here or there or any where of this globe.

I like to believe that we are now in a world where slavery is fully and totally eliminated or something discarded for ever from the vocabulary of ‘today’s labor force’ in its practices. But is it something that we can heartily believe?

I have a feeling that in the modern day world, the workers are experiencing the modern version of slavery though I cannot specifically name pointing my finger at someone / group. The difference is that, compared to then, the ‘today’s slaves earn something called a ‘salary’.

Is it a term derived from ‘the practices of slavery’, the salary?                                                   

Compared to past when slavery (old version) was in practice in Africa or in America before Abraham Lincoln , the today’s worker / labour do not get ‘slashes’ but ‘pay cuts’ or something similar as punishments.

Any how the workers today have to believe that compared to various eras of then, the situation of the worker today is at least 95% better.

That to get or to reach this level of ‘95%’ wasn’t easy for any of the workers who struggled, fought against all / any ill wills of the employers, the masters of all kinds and types here or there of the world. Winning the rights of workers (female or male), one by one, was a gradual process.  Winning the rights of laborers were not something that just began at FORD or here at ‘thummulla’ weaving mill’ , the fight began at various places at various stages / levels globally in though those fights were not that significant or known to the world.

Overtime payments, workman compensations, standard basic wage (minimum wage) salary increments; though some of these things are known to people as something that promised by politicians’, the importance of really using or getting the benefit is indescribable. And those terms and facts are belongs to the things called rights of workers,  global though certain benefits they get depend on the code of conducts , local labour laws, agreements made between the employer and the employee.

I do not know whether the government workers are now receiving the Rs. 10,000/= promised by the present government during election campaigns. The government is now ‘how many years old?

One full year and nearly four months.  Right?

I have heard / read government representatives were saying that they have no money to do so but what is so highly surprise is ‘the incentives the members of the parliament were getting or suggested to be given. The car permits, the other benefits (money allocations for shelter, vine store permits) etc.  If my memory is accurate the government had spent four hundred millions for the vehicle permit (?) allowances or something after deciding to change the system what existed earlier. (Vehicle permits for medical offices?) .

They (the present government) are very good at changing the things like acts and things existed to new version totally discarding, cancelling or adjusting.

i.e. The government has decided to cancelled the act of terrorism prevention ( the existed version) presented by former government (?) presenting a new version of it instead.

I do not know why all of a sudden they’ve decided to do so, especially when that act helped, supported to control and eliminate, discard three decade plus years existed chronic illness called ‘terrorism’ 2009, though it was a step by step process.

It is so interesting to know the ‘differences between the terrorism fever / cancerous illness existed then (until 2009) and the terrorism that they are talking about now?

Are you taking it (the new terrorism prevention act) to the Geneva to get the approval?

The other things is that If some of the high VIP’s of the country had the privilege to participate ‘maha viru dina celebrations’ delivering speeches to please the group, why JO cannot hold any rallies or events to mark the ‘May Day’ with less destructions  or less bars?

I do not know what democracy is that?

I guess that is a very poor attempt to bar or stop people / members of the SLFP joining the rally organized by the Joint Opposition.  

The labour constitution ( Kamkaru Pragnapthiya) introduced by then minister of labour , former president Mahinda Rajapakse was a document highly useful to the workers of  this country and I do not know whether the present government has any plans to dismiss the act introducing a new version?

Yes it is true that the workers pension schemes, E.P.F. and ETF something very useful to every worker who was eligible to receive that benefit and also it is happy to hear that the government has stopped changing the ways, system of paying it and decided to practice the same ways paying them, listening to opposes, the requests of workers / pensioners.

I know that I didn’t fully discuss each and every important fact about labourers / workers, about May Day but I am not totally dissatisfied about ‘today’s essay’.

I wish all who fight against ‘the barriers for workers’, against all or any kinds of tortures things they face at any level or any circumstances all the strength & Power to heal them, to help achieve their wishes ,to support gain needs and wants of the workers globally.

Discount & Sale .........

This dual word, 'Discount & Sale' comes to surface specially during 'festival seasons', Sihalese & Hindu New Year, Christmas etc.  i do not know whether there is any myths and truths behind these words? 

i have heard some say that ' though you see 'sale & discount' tag almost in every shops they get their price' we get nothing as such. 

i too think that though you can really think of such shops that gives their customers some relief with brands or labels they purchase , often you find places that charge you more than what the product or the goods, garment, item costs or actual price. but when people step into a shop thinking of buying what ever they like, when they see that banners or labels they obviously feel happy. specially when the customer do not carry much money in her / his pocket he / she may little extra attention to such benefits they can get from their ordinary dealer / shop owner. 

some shops display that they give 50%  discount , i often wonder how much money they would have paid to purchase the product and why they have charged the product 100% 

earlier or 50% extra before? is there any rationale behind that?

lets say that earlier you've paid rupees hundred (Rs.100/=) to purchase item 'A' and now the shop owner says that you can purchase the same item for half the price , because they give you 50% discount for it, meaning, for fifty rupees (Rs. 50/=)  

so, how do you like to analyze that?

who is remembering the price that the shop owner / dealer charged earlier or does a customer carry a price lists of the products that they purchased (retail or whole sale) previously?

i always believe that 'customer is not a fool' & but is intelligent'. often what customers do is ' they just buy what they want but do not really trust the tag or banner 'discount & sale'.

i have a habit of asking the shop owners / shop assistants / sales supporters ' don't you give discount'?

some say 'NO, fixed price'. 

Some say just because i am a regular customer of them, ' we will give 10% or 15% discount for you'. 

@ some shops, for what ever size and brand you buy, you get same discount rate, fixed rate (5%, 10%, 15% or even 20% or 50%) in any of the period you visit them, the shop, no matter whether it is festival or not.

some customers so thrilled or happy to see that tags, banners , labels hanging on shops , displaying on glass mirrors, show cases , 'ah! look they give discount'.............. the word it self enough for some customers to step in or at least to monitor or inspect the prices and brands , items, products or goods to be sold.

some customers have an idea of not only the products but also the prices of the products that they normally purchase so 'they know whether they really get discount or not.

there is a network of dealers, buyers, that do not allow their other groups to decrease the prices of the same products they sell. They immediatly them or warn them , so that they can maintain a standard price for the products they sell.

so there are myths and truths behind the tag you , we see 'Discount & Sale', often i have a feeling that customer pay more than the actual price under that 'discount & sale' tag. or 50% more or 20% or 15% more than the actually or previous price, or the normal market price.

if the dealer or the manufacturing company really offers you 'discount' you can really feel it, under 'stock clearance sale' or year end sale, seasonal sale or any other sale and discount tag / label. 

can you think any truths behind these discount and sale tags?

festival seasons are known as ' the seasons that the people spend every penny of their savings. that is not a myth , if you try to analyze the months that you most spend or withdraw your savings, you would easily realize that. 

Some of the shops, do not earn much profit through out the year but some profit during these festival seasons , often exceed the profit they earn in all other months.

the other truth is that there are dealers / shops / companies gives so much benefits for their customers, keeping little margin because they earn good profit whole year or that is there nature of doing business.

 Hats off for them

happy New Year!

Who says drivers aren't important .......................

First of all let me thank all readers for staying bonded with footpath for four complete years, continuously, giving me courage and support as friends, benefactors, and well-wishers, news and clues providers, as gurus ……………

I guess that it isn’t silly to say vehicles are no use without drivers, unless the modern scientific world thinking of manufacturing driver-less cars (Vehicles) in the future, perhaps using robotic mechanism or using any other newest innovations .  I do not know whether the 'driver-less vehicles'  are already exist in this world we live or not.

I think if you are thinking of maintaining your car or what ever vehicle you own, having a better driver is a must. a car without a driver or a driver without a car isn't useful.

There is no point buying expensive cars if you do not have a proper driver to take care of the vehicle you’ve purchased or if you haven’t learned the technique of driving ahead accurately towards the destinations you wish to reach.

Driving is not all about ‘accurate driving’, respecting all the road rules, traffic lights , co-drivers,  it is also about how you take care of your vehicle without letting it damaging for what ever inner or outer reasons, when you are taking a bent or taking your vehicle around a roundabout, driving ahead through a sloppy , slippery road, or a enchanting valley or through mysterious hills or ranges of quite and calm mountains, silent village, noisy community .............

Often, you find drivers who don’t have any vehicles but drive the vehicles of others carefully and trustfully and respectfully but it is not always the situation everywhere.  

Mostly, you find drivers drive their own vehicles with so much care and protection, yet, rarely, unconsciously or carelessly. needless to say about the life of the vehicle they are using or maintaining.

Often you find drivers drive carelessly, the vehicles of others but drives their own carefully, i like to remind it again. 

Careful driving is an essential & highly important factor, when it comes to thinking of 'sustainability of the vehicle you own'.

yes, it is true that it is hard to issue list of life time predictions of the future conditions of the vehicles or of the life of the vehicles that the drivers are driving carefully or carelessly.

i have seen selfish drivers in my life time. many of them actually. the drivers who do not like to use roads cordially with the other drivers.

unless you drive your vehicle thinking of winning a  race, i see no reason to overtake others arrogantly or carelessly. i see no harm in letting others over taking their vehicles from the side legally defined. But remember no driver waits patiently for so long in the road when he / she sees that other drivers are intentionally blocking their ways using the roads as they please avoiding the road signals.  

Good drivers always check ‘the level of fuel before getting into a vehicle. i do not know why i thought of discussing about the level of fuel all of a sudden. perhaps it is because of the news i read recently about a lady MP(?) of Japan forced to apologize for the money spent on importing fuel, spending i think millions of yens(?), last year(?)

that is governmental spending but for individual private drivers , i do not think that they can spend millions of money in buying fuel or use their fuel ( Petrol or diesel) stupidly though they have a vehicle with or without a driver.

some believe,  i have noticed, ' if i use my petrol and my car what is your problem' 

that is called ' my car my petrol attitude'.

The drivers without an accepted, driving license to drive his or her vehicle on roads cannot be indicated as ‘authorized drivers’. 

There is a huge difference between driving a public vehicle and a private vehicle, who doesn't know that?

The drivers who have their own, what ever type of brand, new or old, types of vehicle do not thinking of damaging the vehicle by driving it carelessly or foolishly.  did i say it before? what harm in repeating or indicating the 'differences between 'owner driving the vehicles and others driving others' vehicles.  

Yes, it is highly important to 'select a better driver' to drive the vehicle you own, you cannot take it as something unimportant.  

Yes, it is not that difficult to find a driver with an accepted license but having an accepted driving license won’t enough to drive a vehicle safely without keeping any rooms to damage it.

you can say something about the driver just looking at the vehicle to certain extent, i mean the inner conditions of the vehicles.

perhaps, drivers have their own preferences over not only brands or types of  the vehicles   but also of the 'colour codes', the packages of inner facilities. 

some drivers prefer a calm and quite , cooler atmosphere within.  often , they think of the manufacturer, patent, made in tag, the generation of the product ( the vehicle)

some drivers prefer old versions in good conditions. some think of the practical value of the vechicle they purchasee.   some worry about nothing but 'the maintenance costs' of the vehicle they buy.

I have seen many who own accepted driving license and brand new high tech, modern vehicles, keeping their vehicle for days or months at garages or before the companies claiming insurance. 

you find tortures, mobbing , oppressing drivers on roads , often, than disciplined drivers who likes to drive their vehicles smoothly and lovingly. 

Driving vehicles without a better or an accurate road MAP in hand, driving through unknown roads without better guidance is not advisable. 

Better drivers know when to take de - tours and when not to take or no good to use de - tours or avoid de - tours when driving.  

i know that it is not at all easy to locate a driver who hasn't break a single road rule yet i believe there are quite a good numbers knows to drive their vehicle without intentionally damaging it.

The drivers know their driving know that when they are driving towards a destination or proceed to any area they prefer, they encounter junctions, known or familiar to them or unknown to them.

they may encounter many junctions that they’ve not been through before. 

And many drivers know that junction is a place where drivers meet many drivers before turning their vehicle towards their preferred residing places.

I do not know whether GPS tracking is something you introduce to track the mileages of the vehicle running a day only or track other things doubting the driver’s ability to drive or trustfulness of the roads chosen to proceed ahead, as suggested by an unknown or even known to them.  Perhaps, it is a good system to locate the location of the vehicle moved out of the house, service center, and early morning or late mid night with the driver with legal license.  Do not forget when you are GPSing the vehicles of others, you might lose the other things you cannot GPSing and there are other things you must think other than reading the GPS track records, of your vehicle or of the vehicles of your loved ones and dear ones.

Choosing driver with all those top qualities isn’t easy.  There is no point trying to claim compensation or insurance after using your vehicle carelessly or with do not care attitude. Good drivers always know how to drive their vehicle ahead avoiding pits and holes etc.

The drivers should know that they cannot drive fast when there is a huge traffic on roads and how important it is to maintain ‘patience’.    

And the most important thing is that within a vehicle you find only one steering wheel, too many drivers cannot drive a vehicle at same time though you find at least four seats inside a vehicle.

Often, I see people enjoy changing the vehicles they drive from time to time, that are their choices of owning or using or maintaining vehicles; others cannot really say anything against such choices or abilities. 

That is something belongs to the category of ‘affordability of the user’. 

If you are selling the vehicle you have been using or have used for what ever years or months or days , to another user and if  there are buyers ready to purchase it, I do not think that such deals happens  solely because they cannot afford for a brand new vehicle, you may find other reasons as well.

You find many vehicle sales centres across globe; within the lands you live, so as the drivers. 

Often people refer the pages of advertisements before purchasing the vehicle they prefer to own. 

Some , before selecting not only drivers but also vehicles , refer old records of using the vehicles, the total number of kilo meters the vehicle ran, previous driving experience they have, the previous owner of the vehicle , whether it was  accompany owned or a privately used vehicle  for instance.

And when people or individuals thinking hiring a driver, often they read the license to check of the offences, ‘how carefully or carelessly they’ve driven the vehicles they’ve used previously, whether they were fined against anything, you cannot say totally irrelevant or unimportant.

After reading or realizing above facts can you still say that ‘drivers aren’t important or you mustn’t pay that much attention before choosing a driver?

So drivers, try to take care of the brains, the engines of your vehicles without letting it getting spoiled or damaged. 

And drivers don't forget to wear the 'safety seat belt' during your driving .........

Thank you for reading ..........................

 

SMS marketing …………….

Day by day strategies of marketing changing from its original or traditional methods; showcasing their products at a showroom until a customer or a buyer comes to their shop - doorstep asking a particular product what they need, to modern and fast methods; the product / what ever manufactured reach the door step of the customer with a packages of demands of the product.  In the past, when there were no advertising practiced people / customers had to choose what they with a minimum knowledge of the product prior to purchasing. The customer bought things trusting the seller or often from the manufacturer directly and there were no ‘mid people’ / dealers like today who now work as facilitators / directors that connect the ‘customer’ with a chain of dealers / buyers with the original buyer.

A product reaches various hands until it reaches a particular customer that is the nature of today’s business due to many reasons. Under one big dealer you find many sub dealers / dealings.  And when you find chain of dealers who deals with one particular product what happens is that ‘the customer had to pay for all, inclusive of all taxes.

Let me explain it this way.

The dealer 1 purchase lets say a ‘cup’ from a direct manufacture for rupees 10/= (whole sale price)

The Dealer 2 purchase the above cup from dealer 1 for rupees 15/= and sell the same to his sub dealer for rupees 20/=

The dealer 3 purchase the same cup for 25/= and sell it to his sub dealer for rupees 30/= and the next dealer purchase it for 35/= rupees and now the customer buy the cup from the lets assume from the last dealer, that the customer always purchase the cup from for 45/=

So the customer normally pays for every dealer their profit.

So what is the difference that the customer is actually paying?

What is amount that the original buyer paid? It is Rs. 10/=

What is the amount that the customer paid? Rs. 45/=

So how much extra money the customer has paid to his retail dealer / seller for something worth Rs. 10/= ? You calculate.

That is how the dealers are buying and the customers are paying?

So, there is no point in explaining, every person know this; there are many manufactures who manufacture cups locally and the dealers who deal with local customers. The competition is a very obvious thing in this business world, needless to say. And one mustn’t forget that there are business / entrepreneurs who import ‘cups’ and the dealers who purchase import cups’.

Now, in this case, the ‘customer’ needs to choose from varieties of cups locally made and import from some other country or continent.

Customer always has some preference of what he /she wants? But when the importer or the dealer knows that there are many who deals with cups, he / she obviously has to think of a way to sell what he / she deals with as a business, source of income.

The dealer / direct seller therefore have to choose or use a strategy to sell his / her product to the customer who comes to the market with a particular brand or choice in mind. Lets say the customer is seeking for a cup manufactured in Kandy, Sri Lanka in pink but in the shop that the customer visiting seeking what she / he wants or looking for doesn’t have that kind but has another cup made in Awissawella , Sri Lanka in purple and some other cups made in Mathugama and Padukka in blue and green lets say. Now often what customers do is, he / she likes to wander more around shops until he /she finds what she / he wants. If the seller / shop owner knows his business / strategies he /she knows how to sell what is available for the customer who is slightly disappointed due to unavailability of what / the item he /she seeks for.

That is one of the places where you get the chance to sell your product strategically. I recommend you do what ever business ethical way not unethical way. You cannot say ill wills about the other products available @ market or what others are selling unless you can prove totally.

So this SMS strategy is one of the fastest ways that the businessmen / women or entrepreneurs can use to sell / popularize what they sell or manufacture. Yes it is fast and easily readable because today, every person carries a hand phone or more advance toolkits of modern communication.  And I guess for you to use SMS methodology for your business , it is affordable and cost less money to send the message or share the message among more people in a very limited time / within a short period of time. The message of your business reaches much number of people, though rarely people may delete what they receive without reading but let’s assume at least 50% of them read them without deleting it before reading.

SMS is in its literal and practical sense you cannot send a letter size message so reasoning that ‘you need strategically and intelligently create your message without writing unnecessary things. ‘You need to write it very effectively using minimum effective words and effective and attractive language.

Any employer / manufacturer / service provider / dealer can use this methodology to reach their customers, send attractive packages / promotions.

There are plenty of or uncountable number of strategies that the entrepreneurs are using to improve or enhance their enterprises, most have their own unique ways or strategies compared to each others strategies of marketing.

Do not forget ‘customer is knowledgeable’ you need to what ever strategy knowing and keeping that in mind ……………..