{"id":3858,"date":"2013-07-13T01:51:47","date_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:51:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/?p=3858"},"modified":"2013-07-13T01:51:47","modified_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:51:47","slug":"28-paid-workers-vol-13-words-of-the-mother-volume-13","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/02-works-of-the-mother\/01-cwmce\/13-words-of-the-mother-volume-13\/28-paid-workers-vol-13-words-of-the-mother-volume-13","title":{"rendered":"-28_Paid Workers.htm"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
\n
\n

<\/span>
\n Paid
\n Workers<\/span><\/font><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

You should be very
\npolite with those who depend upon you for their living. If you ill-treat them,
\nthey feel very much but cannot reply to you as man to man for fear of losing
\ntheir job. <\/span><\/p>\n

There may be some
\ndignity in being rough with your superiors, but with those who depend on you,
\nthe true dignity is to be very courteous. <\/span><\/p>\n

23 June 1932<\/span><\/i> <\/span><\/p>\n

The shoe-maker would like a raise. He requests me to ask you for 10
\nrupees instead of 8, as he has to support a family of three. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Family considerations do not interest me
\nat all. The salary should depend on the work of the worker, on his ability, his
\nregularity, not on the number of people he has to feed. For if we took these
\ncircumstances into consideration, it would no longer be paid work but charity,
\nand as I have said very often, we are not a relief committee. As a general rule
\nI have not increased the salary of the workers and servants this year, but if
\nthis boy works very well and if you are satisfied with his behaviour, I can
\ngive him 9 rupees instead of 8, to begin with.<\/span><\/p>\n

30 August 1932<\/span><\/i> <\/span><\/p>\n

When the workmen come to fetch their
\nbillas\u00b9 do not detain them unduly. <\/span><\/p>\n

After a day’s work they need to go home
\nfor rest. <\/span><\/p>\n

4 February 1933<\/span><\/i> <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u00b9<\/font><\/span>Work-tokens<\/font><\/span>.<\/font><\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 174<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

A servant is not a convict and must be
\nallowed some amount of liberty and free movement. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

I am sure that servants behave according
\nto the way they are treated. <\/span><\/p>\n

10 March 1935<\/span><\/i> <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 It is very bad to
\nconstantly rebuke servants <\/span>―<\/span> the less you scold them, the better it is. When X asks you to scold
\nthem you must refuse to do so and tell him that I have forbidden you to do it. <\/span><\/p>\n

As for your co-workers, each one must be
\nleft free to do according to his own feelings. <\/span><\/p>\n

My love and blessings. <\/span><\/p>\n

16 May 1940 <\/span><\/i> <\/span><\/p>\n

If you are sure that the servants are
\nrobbing, it proves that they are not properly supervised and you will have to
\nlook to it more carefully. <\/span><\/p>\n

19 July 1940<\/span><\/i> <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

I told you already my point of view about
\nthe number of workmen. The more they are, the less they do. I do not approve of
\n14 men for the vegetables. The work can be done and well done with much less.<\/span><\/p>\n

1 November 1943<\/span><\/i> <\/span><\/i> <\/span><\/p>\n

My dear child,<\/span><\/p>\n

X will have told you my decision about Y.
\nI had to take it, in spite of your \u201cobjection\u201d, because this man only asked to
\nbe given another work in the Ashram; he neither threatened nor  <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 175<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

asked for more wages. He is a good worker
\nand it would be a pity to lose him. This you can easily understand if you get over
\nthe first egoistic reactions to this affair; and surely you cannot accept the
\nfeeling of being \u201cinsulted\u201d which is quite unyogic<\/span>. <\/span><\/p>\n

I hope that after reading this you will
\nrecover and come to a truer view of this very small and unimportant event. <\/span><\/p>\n

With my love and blessings. <\/span><\/p>\n

13 October 1944<\/span><\/i> <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

You can take him as daily labourer at annas<\/span> 10 per day, but I refuse to pay overtime; you will
\nhave to see that he finishes his work in time. Our experience is constant that
\nwhen the workmen are paid overtime they do practically nothing during the
\nworking hours and so manage to have regularly overtime pay at a very high rate.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

1 February 1945<\/span><\/i> <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Today after a break of several years owing
\nto the tragic events which have disrupted the world, we resume our established
\ncustom of distributing cloth at New Year. <\/span><\/p>\n

Unfortunately circumstances are still very
\ndifficult, almost worse than during the war, and do not allow me to do what I
\nwould have liked. The clothes I shall distribute today are all I could obtain,
\nand even that was extremely difficult. I will only add that I hope that next
\nyear it will be better.<\/span><\/p>\n

1 January 1946<\/span><\/i> <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\nDECLARATION TO THE WORKERS
\nOF SRI AUROBINDO ASHRAM<\/span><\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

It is my desire to explain to the workers the
\nspecial relationship that exists between them and me as compared with the <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 176<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

ordinary relationship between employer and
\nemployees. It is also my desire that having understood this special relationship
\nthe workers should always keep this understanding before them in all their
\ndeliberations and in all the joint demands which they make to me. <\/span><\/p>\n

This special relationship is as follows: <\/span><\/p>\n

(a) The work in the Ashram is not done for
\nprofit, as is well known. Therefore during the war when things became expensive
\nand difficult for everyone, it became so for me too, without my income
\nincreasing in any way by the fact of the same circumstances. Industrial and
\ncommercial concerns made more profits and so could easily increase the wages,
\nbut here in the Ashram only the expenses went on increasing. In spite of this,
\nin view of the difficulties of the workers I gave them regular increments and
\ndearness allowances. <\/span><\/p>\n

(b) There have been times when there was
\nno work for some workers, but unlike business firms I have never dismissed
\nworkers but have always endeavoured to find some other work for them to do. It
\nhas always been my policy not to send away, for want of work, workers who have
\nserved faithfully. I could have easily done so and could have even closed down
\nall the works without any serious hardship to the Ashram. But by doing so I
\nwould have only increased the general misery which is already so great, and
\nthat I did not want to do. <\/span><\/p>\n

(c) There are a good number of workers who
\nhave worked for me for many long years and have served me with devotion and
\nfaithfulness and who besides considering me as their employer have also looked
\nto me as their protector, of them and their families. <\/span><\/p>\n

(d) On the whole the workers of the Ashram
\nhave so far worked more or less as members of a family with me as their head,
\nand this special relationship has no doubt brought benefit to many of them. I
\nwould like to preserve this relationship and make it the foundation for all my
\ndealings with the workers. <\/span><\/p>\n

With these points in view, it is suggested
\nthat the workers  <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 177<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

of the Ashram should form a separate
\nsyndicate of their own, since they stand with regard to their employer in a
\ndifferent position from other workers, as has already been explained. This
\nsyndicate might be affiliated to the general body of workers, but would
\nmaintain its own line of action and conduct. <\/span><\/p>\n

It is further suggested that this
\nsyndicate of Ashram workers should elect a committee which represents the
\nvarious shades of opinion among the workers. This committee would receive and
\nconsider the demands put forward by the workers and, having deliberated and
\narrived at a decision that it considers just and reasonable, would present it
\nto me for action through their president. I will receive with goodwill and
\nsympathy all requests of this kind and will act for the best according to the
\nreasonableness of the demand. <\/span><\/p>\n

In these times of struggle and conflict
\nand misery and suffering I offer to all who wish to work under me, with me, the
\npossibility of a reciprocal understanding and a fruitful and beneficial
\ncollaboration.<\/span><\/p>\n

5 March 1946<\/span><\/i> <\/span><\/i> <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

What I said to the workers on <\/span>April 21st, 1952<\/span>: <\/span><\/p>\n

It was unnecessary for you to assemble
\nhere and take all this trouble for nothing. But since you are here I have some
\nthings to tell you. <\/span><\/p>\n

First, you are demanding your cloths. I
\nhave never said that you would not receive them. But it is difficult to get
\nhold of them and it takes time. They are on the way now and when they arrive you
\nwill be informed. <\/span><\/p>\n

As for an increase in your wages, I have
\nalready answered you, and I repeat, I have overstepped the limits of my present
\nresources and I cannot add to my expenditure in any way. So if I increase the
\nwages of some of you, I shall be obliged to dismiss some others in order to
\ncompensate. It remains to be seen which is stronger: your individual egoism or
\nyour collective <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 178<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

egoism. Do you want to increase your own earnings
\nat the expense of the livelihood of some of your fellow-workers?<\/span><\/p>\n

You complain that you live in misery; and
\nI tell you that you live in misery because you waste your money on drinking and
\nsmoking and because you waste your energy in sexual excess. All these –
\nalcohol, tobacco and sexual excess \u2013 ruin your health.<\/span><\/p>\n

Money does not bring happiness. The
\nSannyasi who possesses nothing and usually eats only one meal a day is
\nperfectly happy if he is sincere. Whereas a rich man may be thoroughly unhappy
\nif he has ruined his health by all sorts of excess and over-indulgence. <\/span><\/p>\n

I repeat, it is not money that makes a man
\nhappy, but rather an inner balance of energy, good health and good feelings.
\nStop drinking, smoking and over-indulging, stop hating and envying, and then
\nyou will no longer lament your lot, you will no longer feel that the world is
\nfull of misery. <\/span><\/p>\n

April 1952<\/span><\/i> <\/span><\/p>\n


\nTO THE EMPLOYEES OF SRI AUROBINDO ASHRAM<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

What I wish to do for you. <\/span><\/p>\n

I shall tell you how I view the solution
\nof your problems, both individual and collective, and what is the truth of the
\nrelation between us. <\/span><\/p>\n

But for the working out of the programme I
\nam going to place before you, two essential conditions are necessary. First, I
\nmust have the financial means to execute my plan; secondly, you must show a
\nminimum of sincerity, honesty and goodwill in your attitude towards me and
\ntowards your work. You have most unfortunately the habit of trying to deceive
\nme. Bad advisers have taught you that that is the best thing to do in your
\nrelation with your employer. It may be that when the employer himself seeks to
\ndeceive you and exploit you, this attitude on <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 179<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

your part is legitimate. But in regard to
\nme it is a foolishness and a blunder; first of all, because you cannot deceive
\nme and your deceit becomes immediately obvious and takes away from me all
\ndesire to come to your aid, and secondly because I am not a \u201cboss\u201d and I do not
\nseek to exploit you. <\/span><\/p>\n

All my effort is towards realising in the
\nworld as much truth as actual circumstances will allow; and with the increase
\nof truth, the welfare and happiness of all will necessarily increase. <\/span><\/p>\n

Differences of caste and class have no
\ntruth for me; all that counts is individual value. My aim is to create a big
\nfamily in which it will be possible for each one to fully develop his
\ncapacities and express them. Each one will have his place and occupation in
\naccordance with his capacities and in a relation of goodwill and brotherhood. <\/span><\/p>\n

As a consequence of such a family
\norganisation there will be no need of remuneration or wages. Work should not be
\na means of earning one’s livelihood; its purpose should be twofold: first to
\ndevelop one’s nature and capacity for action, and, secondly, in proportion to
\none’s physical means and moral and intellectual aptitude, to give service to
\nthe family to which one belongs and to whose welfare it is but proper to
\ncontribute, as it is proper for the family to provide for the real needs of
\neach of its members. <\/span><\/p>\n

To give a concrete form to this ideal
\nunder the present conditions of life, my idea is to build a kind of city
\naccommodating at the outset about two thousand persons. It will be built
\naccording to the most modern plans, meeting all the most up-to-date
\nrequirements of hygiene and public health. It will have not only residential
\nhouses, but also gardens and sportsgrounds<\/span> for
\nphysical culture. Each family will be lodged in a separate house; bachelors
\nwill be grouped according to their occupations and affinities. <\/span><\/p>\n

Nothing necessary for life will be
\nforgotten. Kitchens equipped in the most modern hygienic way will supply
\nequally <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 180<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

to all simple and healthy food, assuring
\nthe energy necessary for the proper maintenance of the body. They will function
\non a co-operative basis of work in common and of collaboration.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the matter of education, what is
\nnecessary is to arrange for the moral and intellectual instruction and
\ndevelopment of all, children and adults: various schools, technical instruction
\nin different vocations, classes for music and dance, a cinema hall where
\neducational films will be shown, a lecture hall, a library, a reading room,
\nvaried physical education, a sportsground<\/span> and so on. <\/span><\/p>\n

Each one can choose the kind of activity
\nthat is most suitable to his nature and will receive the required training.
\nEven small gardens will be provided where those who like cultivation can grow
\nflowers, fruits and vegetables. <\/span><\/p>\n

In the matter of health, there will be
\nregular medical visits, a hospital, a dispensary, a nursing home for the
\nsegregation of contagious cases. A department of hygiene will have the
\nexclusive function of inspecting all public and private buildings to see that
\nthe most rigorous rules of cleanliness are observed everywhere and by all. As
\nnatural adjuncts to this department public baths and common laundries will be
\nput at the disposal of everyone. <\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, big stores will be set up where
\none can find all the small \u201cextras\u201d which give life variety and pleasantness
\nand which one will get against \u201ccoupons\u201d that will be given in recompense for
\nespecially notable achievement in work or conduct. <\/span><\/p>\n

I shall not give a long description of the
\norganisation and the working of the institution, although everything in it to
\nthe smallest details has already been foreseen. <\/span><\/p>\n

It goes without saying that for admission
\nto live in this ideal place the essential conditions that need to be fulfilled
\nare good character, good conduct, honest, regular and efficient work and a
\ngeneral goodwill.<\/span><\/p>\n

10 July 1954<\/span><\/i> <\/span><\/i> <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 181<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

Do you know the story of the hen that laid
\ngolden eggs? There was once a peasant whose entire fortune consisted of one
\nhen; but this was a wonderful hen. Every other day she gave him a golden egg.
\nNow this peasant in his stupid and greedy ignorance imagined that the hen’s
\nbody must be full of gold, and that if he opened it up he would find a great
\ntreasure. So he slit her open <\/span>―<\/span> and found nothing. Thus he lost both the
\nhen and the eggs. <\/span><\/p>\n

This story shows us that ignorant and
\nstupid greed is sure to lead to ruin. So learn a lesson from it and understand
\nthat if you demand from me what is beyond my means, and if I were so foolish as
\nto yield to you, I should go straight to my ruin and the result would be that
\nall the work would be stopped and you would be out of work and would therefore
\nhave no wages at all, and no way to earn your living.<\/span><\/p>\n

18 March 1955<\/span><\/i> <\/span><\/p>\n

To increase the salary of some will mean
\nto deprive others of their livelihood. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Be careful about the various reports of
\nthe workers <\/span>―<\/span> they are always biased. Each one speaks always with his preferences
\n(likes and dislikes) and twists things. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

How to remove the distrust from our workers?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Can you make the blind see? <\/span><\/p>\n

The whole of humanity <\/span>―<\/span> with very few exceptions <\/span>―<\/span> distrusts the Divine and yet His Grace is
\nmost active.  <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 182<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

The Employer to the Employee<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Nothing lasting can be established without
\na basis of trust. And this trust must be mutual.<\/span><\/p>\n

You must be convinced that it is not only
\nmy good that I am aiming at, but also yours. And on my side I must know and
\nfeel that you are here not merely to profit but also to serve. <\/span><\/p>\n

There is no welfare of the whole without
\nthe welfare of each part. There is no harmonious growth of the whole without
\nthe progress of each one of its parts. <\/span><\/p>\n

If you feel you are being exploited, I
\nalso will feel that you are trying to exploit me. And if you fear you are being
\ndeceived, I also will feel that you are trying to deceive me. <\/span><\/p>\n

It is only in straightforwardness,
\nsincerity and confidence that human society can progress. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

(About the
\ntreatment of servants)<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Don’t be indulgent, don’t be severe. <\/span><\/p>\n

They should know that you see everything,
\nbut you should not scold them. <\/span><\/p>\n

2 July 1968<\/span><\/i> <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 183<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

\n
\n<\/b><\/font><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Paid Workers   You should be very polite with those who depend upon you for their living. If you ill-treat them, they feel very much…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[111],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3858","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-13-words-of-the-mother-volume-13","wpcat-111-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3858","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3858"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3858\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3858"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3858"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3858"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}