Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Craving for more

When I entered the office rest room this morning, met this lady-maid who was sitting in a corner. It looked like she was waiting to talk to someone since she sits alone the entire day in the same place.(mostly).
I was dressing up and she asked me ‘Have you come here from the other office’? (I actually visited this office today for the second time to attend a few meetings)
Though little surprised, I didn’t show it up and answered ‘Yes’.
She said on her own ‘if someone is a new entry here, I can easily make out since I am familiar with all the faces in this office’
I told myself ‘wow’!
I asked her in return ‘how long are you with this company’?
She said ’14 years’!!!!
I was taken aback for a minute. 14 years with the company and doing the same work and still so happy about it..?!
I knew her profile is not such that she can invent something new everyday. It is also not that she get great salary hikes or perks to motivate herself and I am sure not even a word of appreciation for all the effort that she puts in.
I asked her a couple of questions on her whereabouts, working hours etc. She works between 6.30 am to 3.30pm. She has to walk 8 kms a day up and down. She starts from her home at 5.45am and reaches office by 6.30am.
To my surprise, she also said she carries lunch from home. I asked her how she manages all that. She said she gets up at 3am everyday, gets ready, and prepares food, complete all other work too.
My last question to her was “if you don’t mind, how much do you earn here’?
She said Rs. 4000 per month. She now has benefits such as PF, ESI etc. And am sure you have the same question as I had. Being in service for 14 years in the same company, same job what was her starting salary?
She said she started working for Rs. 300 per month without any other benefits then.
I was like uffffffffffff.. On an average she has got Rs. 300 increment every year. Cost of living has gone up like crazy..
I still have the same question in mind.. How does lakhs of such people manage their life with the salaries they are earning? I know it’s a law of nature, we just get programmed ourselves to whatever we have in hand, we all learn to manage it till the time we get more..

1 comment:

Rags said...

Its insane and situations likes this makes me 2 get confused as whom 2 blame....GGrrrr

Rags
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