Hello Bermuda! A few people didn't like my submission from last week. I take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank all readers those who post opinions, comments, agreement, support, disagreement. I love you all and welcome your thoughts. I hope that people will continue to read, opine, give feedback, etc.However, I regret that some readers chose to focus on a particular section of last week's article and either missed or ignored the entire body of work. Notice that I did not suggest that the readers were ignorant! That would be rather naughty don't you think?Last week's submission began with positive praise of women and throughout it continued with those positive reflections. At no point was it suggested that women were to blame for the emasculation of the black male. To the contrary, I wrote that black men own responsibility for the state in which many of them find themselves.However, in previous submissions I've said that the truth may offend; but it is still the truth. Jack Nicholson once said in the movie ‘A Few Good Men', “You can't handle the truth”. Statistics don't lie and facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored. The statistics suggest that the black male has been marginalised, emasculated and diminished, whether we agree with this or not.In any event, there's a rap song that says, “On to the next one”. My pet peeve this week is the inability of companies and Government to get any semblance of reasonable thinking and partnership from the unions. I refer to the great work that Works and Engineering did on the beautiful roundabout near Swizzle Inn East recently. I had the pleasure of driving by on one of the two days that the work was being done. Traffic was backed up to Francis Patton School to the West and to the LF Wade International Airport to the East. The question is why would they do this at the beginning of tourism's high season and during the middle of the day? More on this after the Top 20.Holding onto the top spot is Higher, by Taio Cruz featuring Kylie Minogue and Travie McCoy. Advancing to #2 is Rihanna's current hit, S&M. Tumbling to #3 is Moment For Life by Nicki Minaj.Climbing to #4 is a former essential new tune, Born This Way by Lady Gaga. Falling to #5 is Who's that Chick?, by David Guetta featuring Rihanna.Improving to #6 is this week is Look At Me Now by Chris Brown featuring L'il Wayne and Busta Rhymes. Climbing to #7 is ET by Katy Perry featuring Kanye West, a former essential selection. Walking, by Mary Mary jumps to #8. Climbing to #9 is 6 Foot 7 Foot by L'il Wayne featuring Cory Gunz, my favourite rap track. Tumbling to #10 is Memories, by David Guetta featuring Kid Cudi, one of my faves.Soaring to #11 is a former essential new dance hit Judas by Lady Gaga. She is just so creative. I like the up-tempo beat of this pop hit and although the lyrics seem to go nowhere, you will find yourself singing them. Up to # 12 is Just Can't Get Enough by the Black Eyed Peas.Tumbling to #13 is Hold It Against Me by Brittney Spears.On the way up at #14 is last week's essential new hit Till The World Ends by Brittney Spears.Improving to #15 is this week's essential new tune, Beautiful People by Chris Brown featuring Benny Benassi.And now, this week's essential new tune, in at #16 and one of the hottest tracks produced this year, Give Me Everything by Pitbull, Neo, AfroJack & Nayer. This one slams; you have to hear it. Neo's voice just blends beautifully with Pitbull's sound and the production is simply unbelievable. This dance hit is a banger that will be played in clubs for quite a while. They are killing it on the South Florida radio and club circuit.New at #17 is the newest one from pop/dance icon/cool new guy Taio Cruz I'm Loving You Tonight. Tracks like these two are making me seriously considering coming out of retirement and spinning again.Down to #18 is On The Floor by Jennifer Lopez featuring Pitbull. Tumbling to #19 is Firework by Katy Perry. Tumbling to #20 is Grenade by Bruno Mars.Now back to this week's topic how we work. Anywhere else in the world road work is often done early in the morning or late at night. Granted some of it is done during the day but when possible, progressive countries do it during periods of low usage of roads. It makes sense to do the work late at night because the asphalt sets better when it's cooler, as a ‘so-called' expert has advised me. It also disturbs traffic less. But we continue to work in an illogical manner in Bermuda. I asked a few important people in the know why, and the reason is because, yet again, we don't want to take on the union. Why in Heaven's name are people afraid of unions? The union leaders pull on their socks one at a time just like the rest of us!It appears that workers get to choose when they work, how they work, how hard they work, etc. I'm not suggesting a return to slavery or ill-treatment of workers, but darn, managers should be able to make intelligent business decisions such as moving shifts. But we will not or cannot introduce best practices in the year 2011 because the unions and/or the staff will not agree to it? Once again, the animals are running the farm.Will somebody please grow a pair and stand up to complacency, laziness, resistance to change and some people's refusal to be a modern employee. I hear that the supervisors are a big part of the problem as well they don't want to come in early or work late shifts.The local workforce must learn that they can't always call the shots and that business and good customer service are not based on what's convenient for workers. Workers must ask themselves just how important their job is or whether they want a job, because the nonsense that has been going on all this time simply has to stop. It is no wonder companies can't make money and why organisations cannot be efficient! They survived during good times in spite of employees' poor work ethic but during a recession you just cannot bury such inefficiency, inflexibility, stubbornness or laziness. It will be exposed and it is now being exposed.So I again appeal to the right-thinking people within companies, Government, employers, and the unions to fight for what is sensible, fair, best practice, successfully in use in other jurisdictions and working well. Doing roadworks during periods of low road usage is just one simple example of ways by which our workforce can provide quality customer service. There are many other such changes in the paradigms of workers that if embraced will make organisations more competitive, more modern and give those companies a better chance of surviving this recession.Companies and workers who cannot move with the times and seek out new ways of doing the work better, faster and cheaper will fail and/or go out of business, or in the case of an employee, they may not be gainfully employed within the next 12 months. Basically, you either lead with best practices, follow or get out of the way. Peace.…..DJLT!