The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Plumbers find the going rough

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Tuesday, Jun 24, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Plumbers find the going rough

K. Lakshmi

Hike labour charges, cut expenses make ends meet

Photo: K. Pichumani

hard going Plumbers at work in Anna Nagar.

Plumbers in the city say their earnings depend on the number of jobs they get every month. A vehicle and a mobile phone are mandatory for them. R. Ravi, a plumber in Parry’s Corner says he does mostly motor pump work. “I get work only 15 days in a month. I charge about Rs.200 per job, and take up work in at least two places in a day. Otherwise, I won’t be able to manage.”

The hike in fuel price and commodities means more expenses and no savings. “Of the Rs.400 that I earn daily, I spend about Rs.100-Rs.120 towards petrol and food. I also have to take care of my family needs, including educating my four children, with the balance,” he says. Mr. Ravi says he was forced to hike his charges to Rs.200 from Rs.150 because of the rise in prices.

N. Ganesamurthy, who does plumbing for rainwater harvesting in Adyar and Teynampet says his profit margin has come down drastically due to the soaring price of materials and pipes. “I have to share the charge along with the other workers who are constructing the RWH structures. Sometimes, I end up spending from my pocket towards labour charge and raw materials as I cannot demand more from the customers,” he says.

He has started looking for other jobs to make ends meet. “I earn up to Rs.2,000 in a week. But I pay the other workers from my share, and end up having to borrow money,” he adds.M.S. Ravisekar, a plumber from Mogappair says though there is work available throughout the month, customers are not willing to pay more. “I have had to cut my expenses to live within my budget,” he says.

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