The maid is free

Yesterday maam is getting call on her mobile. Her friend Maam K is having big dinner on Saturday and she want to invite maam and sir. Maam say yes they go for dinner. Then maam say no I am sorry but my maid is not free to come and help. She has to look after children.

I know Maam just use children for excuse for not taking me. She not taking me like this anywhere to do work. even if I do not have to stay home with children. She not liking all this. She say that maid is suppose to work only at sponsor house. She worry that she might get fine if I work somewhere else. Any time her friend say is your maid free maam is always say no. for this reason.

Few week back in newspaper I am reading that there is so big fine if they catching maid doing illegal part time work. Maam is also seeing this. She say see Sally that is why I get worry when you go out without tell me. Because I worry you doing like this part time illegal work. Like maybe some ironing. Or some cleaning. I not want you to do that because see how big fine is.

But some part time work is ok. Not illegal. Like in next door house. they have no full time maid. Only part time. She comes from agency. She comes two or three times in week. Lot of people is do like this if they not want to have maid live in the house. Then they are able to use the maid room as store room. For their bags or something.

Every time I am seeing this same girl coming. She bringing mop and broom and vacum and all cleaning thing and going in next door house. Then after three or four hour she waiting outside house for her car lift. Always waiting 20 minutes. sometimes waiting 30 minutes. in sun. On Monday when she is waiting I am going outside to talk to her. First time.

Her name is Rosalie. I ask her how is it to work in agency. She say she starting work at 8 in morning and finish at 8 in night. Full day cleaning. or ironing. or washing clothes. Every house is different thing. But she busy full time because the maam is pay for her by hourly rate. Her only free time is when she eat lunch and when she waiting for her car lift. In the sun. That why she not mind waiting in the sun. Because she having little bit rest and free time.

Every job is pay her 30 dirham for one hour. I am thinking she getting so much money every month. Like 6000 or 8000 dirham? Even I want to do this work. Then she say that all her money go to her agency. Then agency is pay her fix salary. It very low. And from that she having to buy her things. accomdation and bus and food and clothes. Then send home what she have left maybe 200 or 300 dirham. Now I do not want to do this work. So much hard work. so little bit rest time. And so little bit money in the end. I think my situation is better.

Now I tell you my situation. This is how my salary get fix. At this maam house my salary is correct. But before this it not so good. When I apply to come here from Philippines the agency is telling me that my salary be 1500. When I come here agency make me sign contract with my before maam. My before maam say sign quick sign quick. So I just sign quick and not read contract. I make big mistake. when I get first salary she give me only 800. I am so much shock. I tell my before maam how this can be? Agency tell me I get 1500. She say Sally it in your contract. You sign contract at agency. She tell me Sally you work hard I increase your salary. After 6 month she make my salary 900.

It very low but I think at least I am getting salary every month. At least they not beat me or burn me. or like I am seeing in paper yesterday shave all my hair. Really.So bad this is. Anyway because my before maam and sir is not do any of these bad thing I keep quiet. And 900 dirham in peso is still lot of money.

This maam coming new to Dubai. When she transfer my visa from my before maam she just fix my salary for 1200. She not knowing that Philippine goverment is fix minimum salary for all housemaid coming to Dubai. My before maam not say anything to my new maam. Even I feel shy to tell her. In her mind she think Sally salary is 900 I give her more. So she feeling like she doing good thing. Then one day she is reading in paper or somewhere about this minimum salary. So when she renew my contract she make it correct. 

Like this lot of country is fixing salary for maid coming in Dubai. Like if you are maid from India your salary is fix for 1100. And some girl from some country is get 650. too less. I am happy I am from Philippine because maid from my country get more high salary than other country. Why some country girl is getting so less and some is getting more? All housemaid is do same hard work.

House maid work is so much hard work that no maam is want to do this work  That why they get maid to do the work.They not realise that maid is doing so much work until sometimes when maid is leaving and they have to do all the work. They just want work done properly. but they not want to pay properly.

When maam is finding villa last year she is always talking on phone. I am always hearing her. Four bedroom plus maid. Three bedroom plus maid. I know they talk about maid room but I am always thinking it sound like if you buy the villa the maid is free. Buy villa get maid free. Villa plus maid.

But maid is not free. And housemaid work is not free work. That why I happy when maam tell Maam K and all her friend that Sally is not free to work at your house. Only maam and sir will go for dinner. Not maam and sir plus maid.