Kubi kakhulu! Imakethe Yezimonyo yase-UK Iyehla

NgoMashi 18 kulo nyaka, uhulumeni waseBrithani wamemezela ukukhanselwa kwayo yonke imikhawulo yobhubhane olusha lomqhele, okuphawula ukuguquka okugcwele kwe-UK kusukela esigabeni sokuvimbela ubhubhane kuya esigabeni “sokungalali kahle”.

Ngokusho kwedatha ebikwe yi-IMRG Capgemini Online Retail Index, ukuthengiswa kwezitolo oku-inthanethi e-UK kwehle ngo-12% unyaka nonyaka ngo-Ephreli 2022 ngemuva kokuba i-UK iphakamise ngokuphelele inqubomgomo yayo yokuvimbela ubhubhane ngoMashi. NgoMeyi olandelayo, ukuthengiswa kwezitolo oku-inthanethi e-UK kwehle ngo-8.7% unyaka nonyaka—uma kuqhathaniswa nokwanda okungu-12% unyaka nonyaka ngo-Ephreli 2021 kanye nokwanda okungu-10% unyaka nonyaka ngoMeyi 2021, umqondisi woMnyango we-Capgemini Strategy and Insights u-Andy Mulcahy ngokungahloniphi wanikeza igama elithi “okubi” ezibalweni zesikhathi esifanayo kulo nyaka.

“Akukho okufihlayo, ukuthengisa kube kubi kakhulu ezinyangeni ezimbili ezedlule,” kusho yena engxoxweni ne-Financial Times. “Ngemuva kokuqeda ukuvimba ubhubhane, wonke umuntu ubheke phambili ekubuyeleni ezingeni ngaphambi kobhubhane olusha lomqhele. Kodwa silandele abathengisi abangaphezu kuka-200 abaku-inthanethi, futhi ukusebenza kokuthengisa kwehle kusuka ku-5% kuya ku-15%.” Ucaphune inkampani enkulu yemfashini esheshayo yase-UK iBoohoo njengesibonelo, kusho inkampani ngoMeyi 31. Embikweni wayo wenzuzo yekota yokuqala, imali engenayo yehle ngo-8%.

Phakathi kwezigaba ezahlukahlukene zamapulatifomu e-e-commerce aseBrithani, ubuhle nezimonyo zenze okubi kakhulu, lapho ukuthengisa kwehla ngo-28% unyaka nonyaka.

UMulcahy ukholelwa ukuthi uhulumeni waseBrithani kufanele abe nesibopho salokhu, futhi wasola uhulumeni ngochungechunge lokwenyuka kwentela ezinkundleni zokuxhumana nge-inthanethi: “I-10th (iHhovisi likaNdunankulu) ifuna kakhulu abathengi babuyele ezitolo ezingaxhunyiwe ku-inthanethi, futhi isungule uchungechunge lokwenyuka kwentela. Intela ephezulu yokuthengisa ku-inthanethi iphoqe abathengisi ukuthi bakhuphule amanani emikhiqizo, okwenza abathengi bathenge ezitolo ezishibhile. Ngesikhathi sobhubhane, ukuhweba nge-inthanethi kanye nokuthengisa ku-inthanethi kwakubhekwa njengomsindisi womnotho waseBrithani ngomhlaka-10. Manje uma ubhubhane seluphelile, singaxoshwa, akunjalo?”

Kokubili ukuthengiswa kwezitolo online kanye nokuthengiswa ngaphandle kwe-inthanethi kuyehla, ngakho-ke imali yabathengi iyaphi? Impendulo ye-Guardian iwukuchitha izindleko zokuphila ezikhuphuka phezulu.

Eqinisweni, i-UK ibhekene nokwehla kwamandla emali okubi kakhulu eminyakeni engama-40, ngesilinganiso sokukhuphuka kwamandla emali esingu-9.1%, okuye kwaholela i-UK ezingeni lokukhuphuka kwamandla emali eliphakeme kakhulu ku-G7 (G7). IBhange laseNgilandi laxwayisa ngokuthi ukukhuphuka kwamandla emali e-UK kungadlula u-11% ngo-Okthoba.

“I-Guardian” ithe ngenxa yemiphumela yesikhathi eside ebangelwe yigciwane elisha lomqhele, inani elikhulu labantu abaneminyaka efanele abaphakathi kuka-16 no-64 bahoxile emakethe yezabasebenzi yaseBrithani. Lokhu kuholele ekushodeni okukhulu kwemisebenzi yokuthengisa, njengabashayeli bamaloli kanye nabasebenzi bezokuthutha. Ukuntuleka kwabasebenzi bokulethwa kwenza abathengisi babhekane nezinselele ezinkulu zochungechunge lokuhlinzeka ngempahla, futhi kufanele bandise amaholo akhokhelwa kulezi zikhundla ukuze bafeze umphumela “wemivuzo emikhulu, kumele kube namadoda anesibindi” - futhi lokhu kusetshenziswa kwemali okwengeziwe, ngokwemvelo kudluliselwe emkhiqizweni.

Izindleko eziphakeme zokuphila zenza abathengi baqinise amabhande abo, kanti oyedwa kwabathathu baseBrithani uthi sebeqala ukuyeka itiye elishisayo futhi baphuze amanzi abandayo kuphela ukuze bonge izindleko zikagesi. UNdunankulu waseBrithani uJohnson waze wakhuthaza wonke umuntu ukuthi anciphise izindleko zokuphila “ngokudla kancane”. “Sesiyeke ukusebenzisa imali kukho konke ngaphandle kokudla nerenti,” kusho uDimi Hunter, oneminyaka engu-43, engxoxweni neThe Guardian. “Manje mina nomkami sidla ukudla okubili kuphela ngosuku, ngenxa yesicelo sikaNdunankulu.”

Ngaphansi kwezimo ezinjalo, izitolo zezimonyo ezingaxhunyiwe ku-inthanethi zimbalwa ngokwemvelo. “Uhulumeni usitshele ukuthi ubhubhane seluphelile. Kodwa abasebenzi basaphinde batheleleka, bayaqhubeka nokufona begula. Ngingaqhubeka nokuqasha abasebenzi abasha kuphela - futhi ngikhokhele abagulayo bangaphambili ngesikhathi esifanayo. Uma isisebenzi esisha naso sitheleleka, no-Elizabeth Riley, umnikazi womthengisi wezimonyo eBrixton, eningizimu yeLondon, wakhononda, “amakhasimende amadala eze ukuzongibuza: kungani nithengisa i-RIMMEL (Rimmel) Mystery) Isisekelo soketshezi sibiza kakhulu kunentengo ekwiwebhusayithi esemthethweni? Kungani ningenzi izaphulelo? Ngingaziphendula kuphela, yebo, vele nginganciphisa noma nginciphise intengo, bese kuthi ngesonto elizayo, nizongibona ngipakisha ngihambe.”

Kulokhu, unobhala wezebhizinisi waseBrithani uPaul Scully waphakamisa isu elisha: ukuvumela abasebenzi baye emsebenzini begula. Wabe esebanxusa ukuba balandele isibonelo sendlovukazi eneminyaka engu-95 ubudala, “Indoda endala kangaka ingaqhubeka nokusebenza, kungani wena ungenakukwazi?” 

Lesi simangalo sahlangatshezwa ngokushesha yizikhukhula ezivela kuRiley nabasebenzi bakhe. “INdlovukazi inazo zonke izinsiza zezokwelapha zase-UK zokusisekela ngaso sonke isikhathi, futhi kufanele silinde emgqeni ohlwini lokulinda lwabantu abangamashumi ezinkulungwane abalinde odokotela ukuba babone ngamunye ngamunye.” Abasebenzi uMaria Walker bathi: “Akukuhle ukugula, kungaba yi-Covid-19 noma ngenxa yomkhuhlane, ngingaba nokuthimula njalo, impumulo egobhozayo, isiyezi kanye nekhanda elibuhlungu, futhi bengingeke ngikwazi ukukhonza amakhasimende nhlobo.”

URiley wathi, “Nkulunkulu, ubani ofuna ukungena esitolo sezimonyo lapho bonke abasebenzi bevuma khona ukuthola umqhele omusha? Uma wena nabangani bakho nikhetha imikhiqizo, bathimula ngemuva? Uma uthola izinkophe zakho, kufanele ame phakathi ukuze angishaye? Kungakapheli nesonto, ngizogcwala izikhalazo nezincwadi ezifikayo!”

Ekupheleni kwengxoxo, uRiley uveze ukungabi nathemba ngekusasa lemboni yokuthengisa yaseBrithani, wathi angase avale isitolo sezimonyo eLondon, esivulwe iminyaka engaphezu kwengu-30, abuyele emaphandleni aseYorkshire ukuze athathe umhlalaphansi. “Phela, abantu abakwazi ngisho nokukhokhela isinkwa, ngakho-ke ubani okhathalelayo uma ubuso babo buhloniphekile?” ehleka usulu.