A Living Wage

Salary psychology

I informed our staff members of the revised payscale for the financial year we commenced this month.  As per the revised scale each of them have a substantial raise ranging between Rs 800/- and Rs 1500/-. As before, the joy expressed this time was quite evident.  However, once the comparisons begin, then some faces start growing longer.

Reminds me of a movie dialogue (3 Idiots):

On the day the exam results are published, two friends who secured the least mark in the whole class, thinking about their third friend have this to say: Learnt an important lesson in human psychology: when a friend fails, it pains but when a friend gets first rank, it hurts most! 

Marriage woes, even otherwise

Being the first of the month, I distributed the salaries for the staff and did spend quite some time talking to them just about anything.  One of the main points for discussion or you might call it a debate was the point of dowry, marriages and caste system.  I was surprised to hear from the kitchen staff that not only is dowry given away when a daughter is married off, the parents of the girl have also to give a portion of the dowry for the boys' sister, if any!  That would be to say that the bride's family has to pay not only money for the bride but also for her new sister-in-law!  Gosh!

And if there are a couple of marriages in the villages, everyone - literally, everyone! - in the village, and more especially those closely related to the families are all bankrupt that month.  Reason: the gift they OUGHT to offer at the wedding function.  This is kept record of and when there is a marriage in the visitors family, the one now receiving has to pay something MORE than what was given to them!  And so if there are more than 4 wedding functions that a family has to attend in a month, the 'gift' would drain their whole month's salary! And if there is a fifth one, they'll borrow and 'gift' the amount!  While the staff resented this whole procedure, none would try to break this vicious circle - all for fear of what 'they would say'.  ... the same rationale is given for all matters concerning inter-caste marriages, dowry, girl-child atrocities.

Having heard, spoken and debated with them at length, I only said aloud, "Thank God, I was not born in Gollalapalem (their village), and not as a female!"

Balancing justice and charity

During the recent visit of Fr Maria Arokiam, he stressed the need to ensure just wages for our non-teaching staff. He was clear in stating that charity needs to be avoided and justice to be meted out. Now that's a rather thin line dividing them both. Most often, people prefer charity (not to be confused with love) than justice. Of course, an employee would love to have a hike in his or her salary. But refuse him or her a 'helping hand' in their trouble, because you've been just, by way of giving a good wage, and you'll earn their wrath!

However, I find myself agreeing much with what Fr Maria stated: less of charity and justice for sure.

Medicine, life and living

Health has become a business - mighty profit-making business. Once upon a time, I was captivated by medicine - especially after watching the movie 'Patch Adams': Medicine is more about improving the quality of life than delaying death. But in the last few days, I feel more will die of medicine (or lack of it) than really 'improve the quality of life'.

Last time it was our gardener, Tirupathi who had to dole out one month's salary for a night in the hospital. This time it is another person known to very many of us who has to burn not just his pockets but himself... a whooping Rs 8 lakhs!! I'm told that in one of the prestigious hospitals in the city, the starting fee is Rs 50,000. That's just the initial deposit. The fees are built on it!! I'm sure, there must be hundreds of people who must have walked out of the hospital 'happily willing to die' than even dream of pouring out so much money. In such cases when medicine and cure is simply beyond the affordable limit, the patient either is happier than before or dies then and there!! It is only the dear ones who have to live with the guilt of not being able to do anything other than see him/her slowly die. Living in such conditions is maddening!

Salaries...

Today, for the first time, I distributed salaries to the staff of the house. I got this idea of inserting a small 'thank you' note into each of the envelopes containing the salary and felt it was good that I did so. However, handing the envelopes was an experience in itself!! I could clearly see emotions and feelings so confused, written all over their faces. There was joy at receiving the money, the sadness of the loan-amount being cut, the anxiety of managing with the cash in hand, the hope of doing something (perhaps purchasing something), the doubt of miscalculation by me.... Gosh! It was all there - none could have missed it! Then there were some who just wouldn't stop perspiring and fretting when the loan repaid did not tally with their account. Only when it was clarified and cleared did a breath escape their nostrils! There was another who practically emptied his envelope within 10 seconds of receiving it: clearing debts in house!

I had the joy of handing over their salaries - implying I had so much of cash in hand. For me the currency in my hand was mere paper. But for them, it was life! It was their sweat and blood - every bit of it precious and life-giving. I know I don't spend money lavishly - some even call me stingy! Yet my monthly expenditure - if I were to calculate ALL my expenses - would be more than the monthly income of some of them. To top it all, it is I who have taken the vow of poverty - and they, have no choice but to live it! I wonder if I'd be able to manage a whole family with what they receive as their monthly salary?