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Lindalou
Senior Nomad
Posts: 623
Registered: 1-12-2004
Location: Punta Banda Baja
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Mexican wages
I've been reading the board, and seen a couple of references to Mexican wages here. One person said $10 a day and another said maybe $20 for just work
in general, not skilled labor. What do you pay$? This is not meant to start a flaming party about taking advantage of the Mexicans, it's just a
question. Thank you 
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DENNIS
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The office where you live pays Gordo the maintenance man's helper 15 bucks per day. Out of that, he gets to pay two bucks for the micro.
Nice, huh.
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sylens
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in our mexican neighborhood, the "association" (NOT recognizable as such, not at all like en el otro lado) pays the gardener who keeps the common
areas clean and green 1000 pesos/week for 5 1/2 days of work. same pay for the guard who works 7pm - 7am riding around our colonia on his bicycle 6
nights/week.
lili
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Lindalou
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They are doing some physical labor, like connecting instant hot water heater and some gas lines to catalytic heaters(crawling around under the
doublewide) and some weeding. They were also pouring cement but Rich worked right along with them.
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Osprey
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What are you going to do with this information? Do you intend to average what posters pay to those who work for them? Why don't you ask yourself
some questions? #1 "what do I think this work is worth to me, my equipment, my wellbeing?" That's the way a lot of us do it. Try it, unless you're
just squeeky barateros, you'll know by the smiles or lack of them from your employees.
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Lindalou
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Location: Punta Banda Baja
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Osprey
What are you going to do with this information? Do you intend to average what posters pay to those who work for them? Why don't you ask yourself
some questions? #1 "what do I think this work is worth to me, my equipment, my wellbeing?" That's the way a lot of us do it. Try it, unless you're
just squeeky barateros, you'll know by the smiles or lack of them from your employees. |
We would love to pay
them $100 a day if we didn't live on SS. They were very happy to see us back when we returned as they had not had but one or two small jobs since we
had left. A lot depends on how much money we have as to how much we can pay.
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vandenberg
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We have a gardener who comes for 5 hours once a week. Pay him 200 pesos. I haul off all the cuttings and debris in my old Suburban. We believe that's
a fair wage. However we have people here, who are only here for short periods, many friends of mine, who think nothing of giving a guy $20.00 to wash
their car, a 10 minute job, and worth $ 5.00 at the most. So, next time somebody has their car washed and by giving the guy $ 7 to 8.00, thinking to
be generous, are surprised by being considered "baratos".
So, not too hasty Jorge. It's all relative and definitely subject to your financial situation.
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Osprey
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Van in this town I consider it my job to overpay everyone when I have the funds -- that's to make up for all those piojosos who will not pay one puny
centavo more than someone will accept to do the dirtiest, hardest labor you could imagine. It is all relative, that's why I do it.
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DENNIS
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Posts: 29510
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Osprey
Van in this town I consider it my job to overpay everyone when I have the funds -- that's to make up for all those piojosos who will not pay one puny
centavo more than someone will accept to do the dirtiest, hardest labor you could imagine. It is all relative, that's why I do it.
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All of this "Pay too much---Pay too little" stuff is nonsense if we would act as we do in the states and never hire a man to do a job without first
establishing what the charge will be. Establishing a price after the work is done brings the negotiation into that gray zone of gratuities for
service and we've already spent too much time with that topic.
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Don Alley
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There are good, and bad, economic consequences when large numbers of more affluent foreigners move into an area.
Paying more than the customary wages may please the workers, but it tends to raise the overall price of services, pricing them out of the range of
those local people who do not have the economic advantages the foreigners have. It also creates general inflationary pressures on goods as well as
services.
We may have overpaid for some services. Ideally I would prefer to pay at close to a customary, local rate but with the rapid growth and resulting
inflation that has already become a moving target.
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David K
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Location: San Diego County
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Dennis is right, ask what the person wants for the job BEFORE he does it. Pay for the job, not the time he takes to do it... because anyone can work
slower to milk more hours of pay.
If there is something unexpected that comes up requiring extra time, pay more... If the job was outstanding in quality, then tip generously.
Reward excellence!
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Osprey
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Dennis, I heard a whole lot of that "Do what you did in the states" stuff when I first got here. Good thing I didn't listen. I often hire work done
without a mention of wages, pay what I think the job warrants based on the end product. I ask the worker if it's enough. If he comes back for more
work, and almost all have, I consider I paid enough or a little too much -- suits me fine and it ain't what I used to do somewhere else.
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Lindalou
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Location: Punta Banda Baja
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Osprey
Dennis, I heard a whole lot of that "Do what you did in the states" stuff when I first got here. Good thing I didn't listen. I often hire work done
without a mention of wages, pay what I think the job warrants based on the end product. I ask the worker if it's enough. If he comes back for more
work, and almost all have, I consider I paid enough or a little too much -- suits me fine and it ain't what I used to do somewhere else.
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I'm really glad to hear you have the money for that. I agree with Dennis, we got bids on work in the states,
we never took the lowest one but we did take the one we could afford. It will be the same way here, if someone wants too much money we will get
someone else that a gringo hasn't ruined yet with too much pay. If they don't over charge us we can use them more and longer. Rich does a lot of the
work because that is what we can afford He is also almost 70 and it gets to be too much sometimes.
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Marie-Rose
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Location: Victoria, B.C. and Todos Santos
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We tend to pay as Dennis and Don suggest.
Our neighbors and caretakers often get paid more by way of special "treats" from occ'l shopping trips to Cabo or LaPaz.
We also realize that although we pay Maria a set amount every time she comes to clean... some days she is here for 2 hours and other days 4 hours.
Same goes for the gardener... he gets a monthly rate... some weeks he shows up twice and other weeks we do not see him at all! 
Remember, when in Mexico, yes may be no and no may be
maybe!
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shari
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Registered: 3-10-2006
Location: bahia asuncion, baja sur
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Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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I disagree that if gringos pay too much it raises the prices for the locals...local workers know that their compadre doesn't have money to spare and
if he needs work, he will work for the normal local wage...and I think it is fair if someone who has more...pays more...god knows they usually deserve
it. Workers often ask us what to charge and I don't hesitate to tell them to raise their "normal" price a bit if I know the people can afford to pay a
bit more. For example the fellow who carves gorgeous fish, whales, dolphins etc...out of bone...I told him he could charge a bit more to gringos for
his precious work and so he ended up charging like 2 bucks more!!! ha...
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oxxo
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Mood: If I was feeling any better, I'd be twins!
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| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
Dennis is right, ask what the person wants for the job BEFORE he does it. |
I have done that on several occassions - ask what the person wants - and have never received a direct answer. It is always, "whatever you want to
pay, Senor." Consequently, feel I have always overpaid (closer to US wages), but I don't lose sleep over it.
Perhaps the best thing to do, particularly for people who live only on SS, is say, "I can afford to pay X for this job, would you like to do it?"
That should take care of it.
I'll never forget the time I was eating at a restaurant in Los Cabos and was serenaded by a mariachi band. I told them I didn't want a song, but they
sang anyway. Afterwards I gave them a tip anyway, one I thought was generous. The leader made a big deal out of it and called me a cheapskate. It
was quite embarrassing since the place was packed and he made a scene. Never again! Next time, better not to pay at all than pay something that is
considered an insult.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64859
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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| Quote: | Originally posted by oxxo
| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
Dennis is right, ask what the person wants for the job BEFORE he does it. |
I have done that on several occassions - ask what the person wants - and have never received a direct answer. It is always, "whatever you want to
pay, Senor." Consequently, feel I have always overpaid (closer to US wages), but I don't lose sleep over it.
Perhaps the best thing to do, particularly for people who live only on SS, is say, "I can afford to pay X for this job, would you like to do it?"
That should take care of it.
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Well, then wait them out... be the boss. The first one to quote a price loses... Tell them you cannot hire them unless you know what they want to be
paid.... Say goodbye... You won't wait long before you get a knock on the door.
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Osprey
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Location: Baja Ca. Sur
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David, would you be available for diplomatic public relations work in Southern Baja? We are a backward lot down here and could learn a lot from your
management methods.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64859
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Nothing to be diplomatic about... You are seeking to have something done and are in the bidding process... How can you decide who to hire if no one
person comes with a recommendation, except on price and your gut feeling about the man?
I work for many different people and they hire me because I was refered to them and they agree to my price estimate for the work. I tell them how much
the system will cost to install... they are the boss who pays me. Why is that hard for gringos to do when hiring locals for some project in Baja?
Ask everyone who has had similar work performed for references.
1) Seek bids from all who are interested or all who were recommended.
2) Based on the person and the price, hire them to do the job.
3) Have the job detailed on paper so there is no mis-understanding or memory issues. Decide the payment details... Either a material deposit and
balance at completion or progress payments, depending on the size of the job.
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DianaT
Select Nomad
Posts: 10020
Registered: 12-17-2004
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| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
Nothing to be diplomatic about... You are seeking to have something done and are in the bidding process... How can you decide who to hire if no one
person comes with a recommendation, except on price and your gut feeling about the man?
I work for many different people and they hire me because I was refered to them and they agree to my price estimate for the work. I tell them how much
the system will cost to install... they are the boss who pays me. Why is that hard for gringos to do when hiring locals for some project in Baja?
Ask everyone who has had similar work performed for references.
1) Seek bids from all who are interested or all who were recommended.
2) Based on the person and the price, hire them to do the job.
3) Have the job detailed on paper so there is no mis-understanding or memory issues. Decide the payment details... Either a material deposit and
balance at completion or progress payments, depending on the size of the job. |
Great advice. Next time we hire someone to help us move dirt and or paint along side us, we will make sure we get 3 bids and make sure these workers
all submit it in writing. I don't think the question was about contractors, or did I not read it carefully. 
Dang, we have someone right now watering our plants while we are gone and we have nothing in writing. Boy, we did it all wrong. She did not set the
price, we suggested a price and we only talked to the one person. Guess we better check with all the other property caretakers next time. 
Diane
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