10/02/2010
Maids and brokers are human beans too
It is a common practice, though not prevalent, to work the maids from 5am to 12 midnight or more. I have personally hear the noises of maids working in the wee hours of the morning, or washing laundry in the late of the night. The number of hours the maids have to go through for the miserable pay of about $400pm is simply inequitable. Ok, all the employers may disagree. You have your right of views. Other than a contractual agreement which the maids signed to work as required by the employers and the compensation, which are absolutely legal, human rights or abuse of human rights is not an issue to them. I always believe that my god is bigger than your god and children of lesser gods have lesser rights.
The other issue is that maids are human beans and need the time to have a break and rest. They are not machine that can go on and on. A decent break, for all the things that the body naturally needs to do is not demanding but a necessity. Only cruel and obnoxious people would ever think that human beans shall be put to work and work for long hours. It is only a decent thing to do.
The SGX is pondering over a decision to scrap lunch breaks for remisiers, commonly known as brokers, to increase the volume of trades. This idea is as stupid and making students mug for longer hours to expect betterer grades. The intrincacies and complexities of the business require more than just a few words to explain.
Brokers too are human beans and need all the time for the body to rest and recharge. The jokers suggesting that brokers should work without lunch break also need breaks for themselves. But they don’t because they can go on shifts, so do fund managers, dealers and house traders, who can all work in rotating teams. Oh, brokers can work in teams too and go on shifts. Unfortunately the nature of the business which is individual and client based would make such an arrangement difficult to operate. It would require a quality change in the way the business is structured, and brokers would have to form themselves into small business groups. This is best left to those supertalents being paid super salary to think about than a flimsy idea of scrapping lunch break to boost business.
The bottom line is that maids, brokers and all tradesmen and professionals are basically human beans and cannot work without breaks, time for lunch and time for other social and even business related activities. It is immoral, unethical, callous and indecent to even make such a suggestion.
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4 comments:
What else is new in time to come, when working until death is the norm?
Making too much of an issue on this is not going to do us any good. For all you know, a certain 87 year old man may yet add his take on this issue and may tell us that we should abolish working hours from 8.30 to 5.00 altogether.
Some people do not think as human beans like you and me.
They have lost sight of the fact that the truly successful remisiers don't have to "work". Their "work" is networking, socializing and getting the business. This is a job where you're as good as the business you bring in, not putting more hours sitting in front of the monitor and watching price movements and understanding nothing.
As for remisiers providing real investment advice, I must say, with due respect to Mr. Bean that I can get a better deal throwing the dice and getting some forecasting from my pet bird. Of course not all are ignoramus twits. Some are really good and when they're good, they become their own fund managers managing their own portfolio.
As for the maids, that HOME kay poh is really barking up the wrong tree when they seek a mininum wage for maids. Don't forget that most Pinoy maids do some "moonlighting" business on the side. You can see them all parading at Lucky Plaza. Where to find a job that gives you food and lodging and at the same time allow you to earn a big chunk of cash "socializing" in pubs or at Lucky Plaza?
Fortunately, my maid is Burmese and let me tell all the folks here that they are the best. Not devilishly cruel like those fiends from Indonesia nor hanky pankies like those Pinoys.
Yes, Wally is spot on regarding his Burmese maid, though I myself do not have one.
But that is the nature of the majority of the Burmese people, a fact I noticed during a visit to Myanmar last year.
The Burmese are beautiful people (not purely in the physical sense), gentle and unspoilt. That was how one visitor wrote in his blog. I agree with him.
Progress comes with all the social ills. Backwardness has its innocence and charm. Whichever is better is up to the individual to decide.
Although i don't disagree with the fact that some Filipino or Indonesian maids are really doing these things during their off days, i just want to plead for a more understanding of their human rights. I believe they have their own reasons for such actions and i feel sorry for them. HOME is only trying to help those who in need and its not their intention to create a stir into a maid-employer relationship,know what HOME does..
as a domestic helper myself, i do appreciate what Singapore and the employers did for us in providing work. We just wanted to be treated fairly and respect each others cultural and social differences.Was that so hard to do?
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