- Joined
- Mar 5, 1999
- Messages
- 34,096
We opened BirGorkha for business 7 years ago. We have four men who have been with us 7 years -- from the start. Presently we have 13 full time employees and our average tenure is 5 years. This is very good tenure for kamis who tend to come and go with the wind. Reason is simple -- pay and perks.
Although our workers earn more than degreed school teachers ($80 per month) and earn about 3 or 4 times what they would get in any other shop in Nepal I still feel it is not enough. My conscience bothers me so to appease it I send over a kami "bonus" every now and then which I'm getting ready to do. I'm going to send $100 each for senior employees, $75 for midrange, and $50 for newbies (2 to 3 years tenure). Sadly, because employment is so erratic our part timers will get 5 or ten bucks.
Doesn't sound like much but when you take into account that teachers get $80 per month and kamis in general are real success stories if they can make $50 per month it is acceptable. When I visited Nepal in 2000 the month before I got there (Dec.1999, I think) Kumar, our best producer, had earned $250 for the month -- incredible pay for a kami.
I know this sounds stretched but it isn't -- figure each kami takes care of about ten people. Bura, for example, has three wives and three families. So, if anybody wants to kick in a few bucks there are plenty of folks over there who can use it. Email me personally about this.
Bright note: One of the best of the good guys and a daily contributor to the forum recently sent $150 for a kami party. The kamis decided against the party and will instead make a pilgrimage to Manakamana, a very holy Hindu shrine maybe 60 miles west of Kathmandu. We'll try to get pix. I'm really happy for them. A day off and Manakamana will be very good for them.
End of news flash.
Although our workers earn more than degreed school teachers ($80 per month) and earn about 3 or 4 times what they would get in any other shop in Nepal I still feel it is not enough. My conscience bothers me so to appease it I send over a kami "bonus" every now and then which I'm getting ready to do. I'm going to send $100 each for senior employees, $75 for midrange, and $50 for newbies (2 to 3 years tenure). Sadly, because employment is so erratic our part timers will get 5 or ten bucks.
Doesn't sound like much but when you take into account that teachers get $80 per month and kamis in general are real success stories if they can make $50 per month it is acceptable. When I visited Nepal in 2000 the month before I got there (Dec.1999, I think) Kumar, our best producer, had earned $250 for the month -- incredible pay for a kami.
I know this sounds stretched but it isn't -- figure each kami takes care of about ten people. Bura, for example, has three wives and three families. So, if anybody wants to kick in a few bucks there are plenty of folks over there who can use it. Email me personally about this.
Bright note: One of the best of the good guys and a daily contributor to the forum recently sent $150 for a kami party. The kamis decided against the party and will instead make a pilgrimage to Manakamana, a very holy Hindu shrine maybe 60 miles west of Kathmandu. We'll try to get pix. I'm really happy for them. A day off and Manakamana will be very good for them.
End of news flash.
