The kitchen tap was leaking so I called a plumber to fix it. I was watching him work...thus went a story about a plumber from Happy For Now (HFN) Story Team, Jodhpur. That story appeared in our WhatsApp group a few days ago. The worker uses inappropriate and broken tools for the repair work. The story goes on to suggest that the worker politely refused to accept extra money offered to buy new hacksaw blade and a right wrench (spanner) saying that he would manage all his new assignments with the tools he has. Reading this, far from real story, I had a hearty laugh. I compared it with stark reality around us.
These workers usually do not even have right tools for the works. They often care a damn about using right tool for work. Often a threaded screw is hammered down rather than screwing it in with a screwdriver. A plier is used to tighten or loosen a nut instead of a right wrench (spanner) You mostly see a carpenter fixing 3 screws into a door hinge with 4 holes. Most often a two core electric wire is used to connect a three pin plug (neutral pin remains unconnected)
Most of us live in 2BHK / 3BHK Apartments /homes. We periodically undertake to give a coat of paint to our flats /homes. We are generally aware of the demands of painters for carrying out the work. Usually the painter undertakes the work on contract basis. The labour charges vary between 10-15K. Usually the painter while discussing the matter says that 2 workers will work for 4days to complete the work. After the job gets entrusted, the work gets completed in less than two days.
As per the opinion of experts, a professional painter should be able to paint the walls with a two-coat painting system in a regular room in an apartment (14' wide x 14' length x 9' high = 504 square feet) in about 3.5 hours of time. An average painter should be able to cover about 150 square feet an hour. Usually a 2BHK totally has a paintable area of approx. 2000 SFT and a 3BHK about 2500 SFT.
These days, works (be it painting, plumbing, carpentry, electrical or masonry etc) are accepted only on contractual basis, not on daily wage basis. Neither we possess the know how nor do we have tools for carrying out these works. Our reluctance to do even the smallest of repair works ourselves very often make us depend on workers for these jobs. Knowing this, they quote exorbitant rates. Where a single person can do a work, assistance of a helper is sought (most often, all that the helper does is to pick up a tool and hand it to the worker whenever asked and does not do any purposeful work himself) In cities like Hyderabad, however, there is a middle man called a contractor who provides the workmen we need for our work ...he only supervises work execution but seldom takes up any work himself even though he normally has expertise required for doing the job himself. Usually he corners 25 to 30 percent of the total compensation without doing anything. I don't know how many of you share my experience. I look forward to hear your experiences in such situations.
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