During my recent visit to Oaxaca, Mexico, it was impossible not to notice the major work going on to improve the infrastructure. The initial impression was that they were improving the roads and sidewalks because all of the streets were torn up. In fact, they had to tear the streets and sidewalks up to make it possible to get to and replace the old sewer lines. And, in so doing, they were also upgrading water lines into some of the buildings that were located by the streets and sidewalks. The most obvious difference to construction methods as seen in the USA, was the amount of work that was being done by hand. I would count up to 40 workmen at a time working with picks and shovels. These workmen work seven days a week from about 8am till 9pm. They brought their lunches and, typically, wives or girlfriends came by with dinner and they dined together on the street. These guys were working hard. There was no "lazy" going on here and I only ever, once, saw a foreman with a clipboard and no other tools. Near the end of a project, once the masonry streets and sidewalks were removed and the new pipes were in place, they did bring in a road grader and a steam roller. Often people look down their noses at this kind of "old-fashioned" work project, but I am not so sure they should. As would be the case in the USA, where you tend to have a zillion heavy machines and lots of flaggers and a handful of workers, I thought this project was moving along with amazing and similar speed. I really think that the workers were getting the job done just as fast, or faster, than it would have been done here. And, in so doing, the city employed a ton of people and cut down on lots of diesel exhaust. I know that such work will never be that way here, probably for any number of good reasons, but I do not think that we should automatically frown and look down our noses at these societies that depend more on human power and less on heavy machinery. From what I can see, human workers can get the job done and, by doing the work that way, it keeps lots of people working in a downtrodden Mexican economy. Thanks for stopping by, Steven L. Smith
Steve:
Here in the States I find the pride in workmanship to be so not there. It's slap it together and then fight with customer service to get repairs. Except for In & Out Burgers here in California.
There are a lot of people that put down those workers when they come to the states but I, as a builder, and as a broad generalization, I never found any that weren't extremely hard working, and reliable----I wish I could say the same for many American workers given the same job.
I so agree with you. We have seen the same thing in China. Many workers with hand picks and shovels working on a project. BUT, more people have jobs. And they are working hard. Go to restaurants there, and there are 4-5 people to wait on your table. Lots of man/womanpower, and most everyone is cheerful about having a job.
Sarah in Nashville
I posted something like this once and someone wrote: Thank God, I do not live there. I just thought it a bit weird and see that, so far, many of us are at least near the top of the same page.
Productivity = output/man hour.
The hallmark of capitalism is productivity. That frees labor for other more productive pursuits, which increases productivity even more!
Hence our economy, even when in a down climate.