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servants mahathmiyam

Discussion in 'Snippets of Life (Non-Fiction)' started by ganges, Feb 28, 2010.

  1. Malavika81

    Malavika81 Bronze IL'ite

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    I saw how much people typically pay for maid service in India and it goes from Rs 600 to Rs 1000 per month. I converted it in sterling and it is like 10-15 quid a month? Wow, how does one make a living being a maid in India? How many houses does a maid typically work and how frequently do they show up?(weekly, daily, fortnightly?) 10-15 quid a month seems really low. How do they survive with that pay?
    You have to pay 10 - 15 quid per hour to avail maid services here so I wonder how do people who do this for a living in India make it.
     
  2. ganges

    ganges Gold IL'ite

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    Dear Malavika

    Here the maids usually comes daily. But mostly they will cheat us not coming regularly telling all sort of reasons. Some maids they started taking weekly one day permitted off also.
    They will work for one or two hours depending on the work. They will charge like that also. It is per work basis. Brooming, wet cleaning, vessels washing, cloth washing etc. each work they charge 300 rs or 200 rs. Like they will do three four houses also. Apart from that they will get one time food and tea or coffee from each house. Nowadays they are so smart they will finish off all the three works within one hour. You should not ask or check the quality of the work. More furnitures they will be very happy to broom less space. They will not sit or bend while brooming. So they will not be much tired and have more time to take more houses.

    You should not compare Rs with the currency there. Here the cost of living is much cheaper than there. There you are paying for hour basis for so and so works, which they will do pucca. Any how its nice of you that you are concerned about others.

    Thank you

    ganges
     
  3. ganges

    ganges Gold IL'ite

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    Dear Kamalji

    Of course you both are very lucky dear. Kamalji, my first DIL is a north indian, so when we go to their house in delhi or chandigarh I noticed the servants are very humble. I dont know about the quality of the work, but they are quite and doing whatever they are asked to. There cooking also is fine. I think generally labour in other parts than south are much better.

    Our relatives will also give to the servants something Kamalji. Apart from that they themselves will demand loan(but mostly non refundable), cloth, things, provisions etc .
    After reading your fb, I think we can do the business of sending house maids to south. Good idea eh?

    Thank you Kamalji.

    ganges
     
  4. kanaka Raghavan

    kanaka Raghavan IL Hall of Fame

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    How true.Years back we had a servant who literally ordered my mother to switch over to six yard sari as she found washing nine yards sari very tedious...........It is a great boon these days if you have agood servant maid ..............
     
  5. ganges

    ganges Gold IL'ite

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    dear kanaka,

    Oh that was a nice joke. I heard my dil saying the previous servant told her when she put the jeans for washing, " ae, dont you know jeans are not meant for washing". How is it.
    Yes it is really a boon to have good servant.

    thanks dear.

    ganges
     
  6. Malavika81

    Malavika81 Bronze IL'ite

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    Well ganges, I do try and relate to the plight of people around the world the best I can. And I do try and make a conscious effort not to support goods and services that come from exploited labour or child labour in developing nations and how people in developing countries have to work hard just to get basic necessities which we take for granted in the western societies. I know I cannot fully relate to their plight but little efforts and sacrifices from people like me and others in the west can make life a little better for the impoverished and unfortunate in the developing world.
    Thanks for the details about the maids in India. It still sounds like a pittance to me as to what they make and I still wonder how these people manage to make it in life however low the cost of living in India is. Hopefully some day in the near future, maids in India can work and charge by the hour and get a fair and decent wage and have their own labour unions and have a better quality of living.
     
  7. BeeAmma

    BeeAmma Silver IL'ite

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    Good read Ganges aunty.
    Yep, not easy to find reliable maids in most Indian cities. Over the past decade their standard of living has increased (which is good). My moms maid has a cell phone, she will also ask for clothes on festivals etc. She works in 5 houses and makes around 1000Rs per house which is good income in their city (not a metro). She charges more at places that she cooks in. She is divorced and going out with some guy. Quite a jolly and upbeat person actually.
     
  8. BeeAmma

    BeeAmma Silver IL'ite

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    Just one more datapoint Malavika. All services outsourced to India (software, bpo...) are done so because of the significant cost advantage. Given that almost all manufacturing from around the world has gone to China from lower end to higher end, consumers worldwide are going to have little choice in consuming products and services created for pennies on the dollar. It is tough to find items in the US not "Made in China".

    On the bright side, it is due to outsourcing from the west, countries like India and China are able to lift millions out of poverty.
     
    Last edited: Mar 10, 2010
  9. bhuvnidhi

    bhuvnidhi IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Ganges Maam,

    I am in search of a maid now and everytime I encounter one , I have a different experience.

    Here goes the interview one of the maid:
    Initially ,
    Me : Where are you from?
    Maid: India from AP
    Me : Wait ,let sir come and then we can talk about the work.
    Maid: What is there to talk to sir?We can talk madam.
    Me : Thatz something I wish to which you should not be questioning.
    Maid : Okay , madam.

    If you think I had been rude to her,let me tell you something , you would never like to hear the maid stories here in Qatar.Sometimes you will forget who is the master and who is the maid.

    After my hubby comes,
    Me : Do you have a sponsor here?Are you legal?
    Maid: Madam,Do not worry about that.My range is different.I can manage anything.:crazy
    Me and my hubby : :spin
    Me : How much salary do you expect?
    Maid: 1500 Qrs.
    Me : That is way too much .
    Maid: But the britishers here give so much and there will not be much work also.And I used to get 1500 Qrs in the school I work.
    Me : They never had any maids in their life.You know we are used to maids in India.So do not try to fool us.And the school will not give so much(Thanks to charvihema ! We just had a chat the same day on this)
    Maid: (Now she does not want to speak to me) Sir, How much will you give then?
    Hubby : 1000 Qrs is the max I can give.
    Maid : Thank you sir(with so much happiness as if she has won something).
    Me : Can you cook?
    Maid : I am a big COOKER(meaning cook) and I will earn 300 Qrs in 2 hours if I want to.But I do not want so much money.

    We were like :spin.


    BeeAmma , I think we need to ignore some comments which are out of ignorance since this issue is being initiated(given a chance) in almost all the threads.

    We know that we do not need any sacrifices from west to bring up our standard as we know that people of same cadre in India have a much much better standard of living than the west(if they are not rich already).
     
  10. ganges

    ganges Gold IL'ite

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    Dear BeeAmma,

    Yes dear. I too noticed the servants on hyderbad, are having mobile phones, mostly young girls, not willing to study, wants to be independant and want to save something for their wedding. But apart from all, I was so upset because they all have no interest at all to study more. One girl in my first sons house, we told her that we will support the education of our servants daughter. Immediately she asked for money. My Dil told, to bring the daughter so she can go along with her to the college to admit her for BA and she will pay all the fees, books cost etc. After that they stopped coming to our house. Later we came to know that the girl is coming to another house for cooking. What will you do.

    ganges
     

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