Inequities

In the restaurant where I sometimes eat there are several waitresses who generally outnumber the customers. The reason for this excess of staff is probably related to the affordability of the salary they are paid. For a 12 hour shift the wage is Php60. That's not per hour, that's per 12 hour shift.

At today's exchange rates that is the equivalent of 76p. Per 12 hour shift.

When asked why they bother to work for so little, the answer is they have nothing else to do, except sit in the house and do chores. Besides, there is no dole or social security or any other state handouts here.

But here's what I find not so much surprising but revealing is you'd think that working for that amount of money and living in such abject poverty, with very, very little prospects they would be feeling somewhat wretched and miserable. But they're not. They are some of the happiest, cheerful people I have ever met.

One of the girls left home when she was 15. Not because she wanted to but because her father could not longer support her and the rest of her family, so with her younger sister they left home to find a way for themselves without being a burden on the rest of her family. And yet every time I see her she is laughing, joking and smiling. We've a great deal to learn in the West about contentment.

And consider this: the daily rate for our general workers on site is Php250. That's £3.18 for an 8 hour shift. But a pizza from Pizza Hut costs Php650. How can it be that a pizza can cost the equivalent of over two and half times an worker's daily wage? How can that be right?