Friday, May 9, 2008

It's that time of year again...

No, not Christmas; no not summer. So what? Negotiation time. Every year almost, without fail, Maids A and B come up with a story so I'll have no choice but to increase their salaries. There was one time it was Maid B who was being pirated. Then Maid A. (Two separate years). And of course, the pay being offered would be higher, they said. Then Maid B said she wanted to go back to the province to rest. Another year she wanted to rest at her brother's here in Litex (near Payatas), Quezon City. One time Maid A told me that Maid B wanted a salary P500 higher than Maid A's for her medications: Alaxan galore and other liniments, Salonpas, etc. Every time she feels an ache, she resorts to either of the options or all. How ironic that only today, I read in Philippine Star how the owner of Muebles Italiano said his mother would tell him "ang pagod, itulog mo lang yan, kinabukasan wala na yan" or something to the effect. Oh well...

So this a.m., Maid A came in. She's the perpetual designated spokesman. Maid B told her she's thinking of taking time off at her brother's in Litex so she could rest. This time I will not be cowed (I hope). I'll just ask my ex-maid who lives nearby to come on a daily basis. Ex-maid is so much more pleasant except that she has a family so she cannot stay in. Oh well, beggars can't be choosers.

We'll see.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Make a list of all the things that they failed to do for you. Tell them, each time they repeat it - BAWAS! Or tell them, they get the same salary BUT if they perform well, they get a performance bonus. That should keep them on their toes.

Grabe, the gall to ask for a raise! Many of us think that getting a salary increase is a right (no thanks to our labor laws). We should be taught that a raise is earned - you don't get it if you don't deserve it.

antonette said...

Hay you can say that again. Our legislators always want to look "pretty" so they get the votes even if the laws they create aren't fair, no? They always talk about oppressing the workers. They forget that sometimes, workers also oppress their employers. Sigh.

Thanks for the suggestion. Basi ma negative suweldo nila if I keep track. Actually, some years back, the accountant or secretary of the parish office was earning lower than my maids. Believe it or not. She was a fresh graduate.