27 Enterprise Management 3.1.4 EMPLOYEES Very few MEs interviewed had paid employees as they could not afford to keep them. Family members provided free labour for most of the MEs. Few MEs had a few paid infrequent employees currently working for them or had worked in the past. Nyan (broomstick maker and seller, Yangon) gave feathers to his neighbour to make feather sticks (used for cleaning) out of them and paid MMK 200-300/stick ($0.2-$0.3). Zaw (Journal seller, Nay Pyi Taw) hired a substitute paperboy to deliver the journals for him when he was unwell and paid him MMK 2000/day ($2). He also hired labour for his agriculture field during harvesting season and paid MMK 2000/person ($2). Htut (Carpenter, Mandalay) had 8-10 people working for him. When he worked on contract basis to make houses, he employed people to work with him. He fixed up per diem/per person rate with the owner of the house. If the owner agreed to pay MMK 6,000 ($6) per person he paid his employees according to their skills. For example, he paid MMK 4,000-5,000 ($4-$5) to less skilled employees but got MMK 6,000 per person and spent the extra amount on buying tools for them. He also paid MMK 1000 ($1) per day to each worker for transportation. Nyan got these feather sticks made from his neighbour and paid him Most of them got help from their family members. Olivia’s (Salon lady, Yangon) cousin would help by painting nails and blow drying hair at the salon, in exchange for a room to stay in, in Olivia’s house. Soe (Potter, Bago) received help from his son and wife in baking, painting and making pots. In Thein’s family (Broomstick maker, Nay Pyi Taw), one person brought raw materials, another made the broomsticks, and yet another went out to sell them. Moe (Bag and chain repair man, Mawlamyine) also put water proof sheets on the windows and roofs for which he had to go to the customer’s house to take measurement. Whenever he went out he asked his brother (who worked with his father) to look after his shop and paid him MMK 500 or 1000 ($0.5-$1) as pocket money. Thet (Wood sculptor, Mandalay) also received help from his family members too, his wife painted the wood statues, elder daughter helped in selling products and took care of the shop for which he gave him a monthly pocket money of MMK 2000-3000 ($2-$3), younger daughter and wife’s sister’s son helped in sculpting small statues for which he paid him MMK 1700 ($1.7). Thein’s family made broomsticks and divided their work everyday