Subir Roy: The changing working class

The boy, actually a young man now, who washes my car every morning is clearing or about to clear, with a stumble or two, his B.Com finals. When he first started doing the job several years ago while waiting for his school leaving results, I thought he was not the typical working class type car washer (these days you can't make out from the dress) but merely out to earn some pocket money. So I encouraged him to read an English newspaper and lent him an R L Stevenson adventure. But I don't think he ever finished the book and I made no further effort to help him mentally grow the right way.

But he surprised me the other day, just before the pujas, by looking quite contrite and saying he had something to tell me. I got ready to congratulate him for clearing his exams and landing a job, but his plea was different. He wanted to take the four puja days off (that was not totally unexpected) but went on to add that he was going on a trek with his friends. I was rather happy and immediately agreed.

Later, when I thought about it, I realised I found him a bit difficult to categorise. He was certainly not the office-goer type, considering the way he would periodically bunk a day's work. But then how many working class children had the time or exposure to develop a taste for trekking? Then I realised where I was going wrong. I hadn't quite woken up to how significantly the working class was changing.

Not only were most youngsters in it getting some education (definitely not much in this case as someone struggling with a B.Com degree would join the army of graduates at the bottom of the pile), some also belonged to peer groups conscious about the environment and keen to go on treks. The country is progressing, I thought, and felt buoyed.

Further evidence along these lines was on the way. The domestic help who comes three days a week (she has worked for my wife's family for decades) to cook for us declared (she did not request leave) that she would not be coming for six days! Not the more expected four days that span the pujas. Why so many days, we asked. She was going to her mother's place in Sundarban. The journey to and back would take a full day each way. Fair enough, I thought, but had an unuttered question in my mind. Why six days for the first time in so many years when journey time had not increased? The answer soon became clear. The working class was changing. If we had said no, she would have coolly replied that we could cut her salary for two days. She had some fallback surplus, which people like her did not have a couple of decades ago, plus attitudes have changed. Even those in jobs which they could lose any moment knew and stood up for their minimum rights. I felt happy for the second time.

There was more evidence at hand. As the pujas were almost upon us, I realised that two groups had emerged among those who worked for us. The security guards for our gated community came around with a notebook, as is customary, asking residents to please put down what we would like to give on account of the pujas. But those who directly worked for our housing society (sweepers, plumber, electrician) and were paid by it (the guards were supplied by an agency which presumably paid them some kind of puja bonus) did not take out any such collection this time. Why? "The society has paid us a bonus and asked us not to go around asking for puja bakshish."

I was glad a third time. The plea of many of us to our managing committee that we should give them something before the pujas, never mind the law for informal workers, had been heeded. More subtly, I also found a change in attitude. Those workers were happy they did not have to go around asking for bakshish. They could have still gone around quietly and got something from at least a few apartments despite getting bonuses. But no, they were not that hard up and their self esteem has risen.

Actually, I should have seen this coming. A few months ago our regular domestic help declared (yes, did not ask for it) that she would be taking one day off every week. She would bunch them up and periodically go home, wherever it was. This was not counting genuine sick leave. (The women of the household have a way of knowing whether a maid has been actually ill or not). If we had declined she would certainly have retorted: Cut my pay.

The overall good news is that even the unorgansied working class is asking for and securing some minimum rights. Rising pay has given them the clout to do this. But if I had cared to I would have given the doemstic help and the young man a lecture. (He overstayed his trek leave.) Good you are at last getting some basic rights as workers, but with time do try and become a bit more professional. Don't take a day off on the slightest pretext and do your job with a little more care.

subirkroy@gmail.com