Where are you coming from now?
I am just coming back from work in the company. I have just done the night duty for 12 hours.
I am a VMC operator. Vertical Machining Center - it is designing and modelling work.
It is dyeing work. From the dyes, models are made,
and then production is made and after production it goes to the press shop.
What parts do you make in the press shop?
There is a company JCB. We make a part for them.
And also for Hero Honda and Escort.
How many people work in the whole factory?
About 450-500.
How many are permanent?
About 200-250.
Are you a permanent worker?
Yes. I am employed by the company.
There are 300 subcontract workers.
Among the subcontractors the rate is Rs. 4,200 for 8 hours and they give around 3,500.
How much do you get?
Rs. 9,000.
With 8 hours plus 4 hours overtime.
Do you work 12 hours all the time?
Yes.
Do you always do night duty?
No, no. Only one week.
What work do you do? Modelling?
Yes, modelling. There is an electronic machine.
After you set it, it runs by itself, and you don't have to do anything.
Have you trained at the ITI?
No, I have done a diploma in machining.
How much time does it take to do a diploma?
It takes about 2 years.
It is a course?
Yes.
What does it cost?
About Rs. 30,000.
After the diploma you can find a better job.
Yes, with a diploma you can get a job for Rs. 8,000 - 10,000 for 8 hours work.
How long have you been working in this company?
For 3 months.
Before that?
Before that I was training.
This course? - Yes
After doing this course, this is the right work, but it is hard work.
Could you do this work without the course?
Yes. It can be done without doing the course, but it would take time.
What is the biggest problem in the factory?
There is forging work there, so the furnaces are on and there is fire.
This is hard work and the workers have problems.
You live in this shack. Have you always been with your family?
Yes.
So you have been here since childhood?
No, not from childhood. I have been here since 2 years.
And before that?
Before that I was in Allahabad.
How far is it from here?
About 700 kilometers.
Is is a village or a city?
A city.
Why did your family come here?
My father works for the Electricity Board.
So he is the only one who does not live in Allahabad. His brothers still live there.
What about your wife and children?
They are also there. I have just a wife - no children.
How is it to live separately?
It is okay.
How much holiday do you get in a month?
In a month we get the 4 Sundays off.
You are a Brahmin? - Yes.
In Germany we think that Brahmins are an upper class and so they do not work in a factory.
But it is not like that? - No.
Does caste have an impact in the factory? Is there a difference between the workers?
No.
And in the shacks?
In the shacks, it is there.
What influence does it have?
In the shacks, people think according to castes and this makes a difference.
What difference does it make?
It makes a difference in terms of eating. We eat separately.
We don't eat meat whereas people of lower classes eat meat.
What do you like better? In the factory, perhaps it makes no difference in the canteen.
Everybody eats together there but not in the shacks. Which do you like better?
I like it when people mix and eat together. That is correct.
Nowadays there is no difference because of caste.
Did you have a job before doing the course?
No, this is my first job.
How do you feel about working in a factory for the first time?
It feels a little strange in a large company factory.
I did not feel at ease at first, later you get used to it.
After working for 12 hours, there is not so much time left, but what do you do after work?
After 12 hours work, I sleep for 4-5 hours and sit with my family.
So you stay with your family? You mother cooks and so you don't have to do it?
I just have to go to work and eat and sleep.
Do you have problems about getting water in the shacks?
It is difficult to get drinking water. For washing we have the hard water,
but drinking water we have to get from far - we have to get it from a water company.
There is this company, Whirlpool.
Does your family get water from the tank?
No, the water supply people come here.
Do you have to pay for the water?
Yes.
What are the costs of the water for you? How much does the big bottle cost?
Rs. 20 for 20 liters.
And in one day you use 20 liters. So in one month this is a cost of Rs 600.
How much is the rent?
There is no rent. We own this place.
What are your hopes for the next year?
My hope is - in 2010, my father will retire and then go back to the village,
and I will have to live alone.
Do you feel afraid?
No, no need to be afraid. There are neighbours.
But after my father leaves, I will not like it.
We have been staying together for so long that when he leaves, it will be inconvenient.
I have another question. This company makes parts for JCB, Escorts, Hero Honda,
but the market is bad these days. Do you have less work?
There is a lot of work.
The market is just an excuse for the eyes of the government - this is just a show.
There is a lot of work. The factory runs for 24 hours, even on Sundays.
Is there a union in the company?
No there is no union nor worker unity.