We are Carpenters not Hammers

I saw a friend last time and yeah he was dressed and giving life to the quotation “dressed to kill”. He’s looks-Fabulous, He’s smile-Incredible. I cannot think of any other word to describe him during those times but GREAT. Uhuh! We had a chance to talk and I was so shocked when I learned that he will be working in Makati with a salary of sweet P 18,000.00 as a starting. I cannot help myself but to envy him. How I wish I have his position.

He asked me how I was doing and I replied “great” I told him that I am working in a local business process outsourcing company housed in the very prestigious Embarcadero De Legazpi. Of course I need to lift my own chair. But I wasn’t able to say a word when he asked me about the compensation that I am getting from the company I am working with. As my usual line I told him “hmmm. It’s quite confidential” I am so shy to tell him of the real scenario.

Now I wake up early at around 5:30 in the morning to ready myself for work. As my daily habit I listen to the news in the radio and what a timing, the news was all about the 13^th month pay and the Christmas bonus.

Its past 6, 5 minutes before 7:00. I sit on my station to prepare myself for a day of work when I received a private message in my yahoo messenger. A co-worker discussed about the fucking 13^th pay and the bla blab bla. He said that we will be having our 13^th month pay and i was very thankful to hear that but everything crashed to hear that it will be given in an installment scheme “2 gives”. OMG!

Hmmm. Let me just make myself clear. Hello! I was hired because they need my service same with my co-workers and we are working insanely just to meet their demands and in times where we need them to give us the compensation we deserve. They just take it and partially give some action. I quote “Partially”.

We are expecting to have more money during the Christmas and New year celebrations but how we’ll be able to provide our families with a good Christmas dining experience if we will not be able to get it whole? Just consider the fact that we are not getting a very high salary. The 13^th month pay is the only hope we have to give our families descent celebration.

We are humans, we are not machines. We are living things and we have our living needs. This Christmas may our employer be Christian enough to give us what we deserve because we are carpenters not hammers.