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AyRojgar
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What went wrongWelding and metal workshop owners in Noakhali, in a Prothom Alo report

Five hours a day without power, 3,000 taka of wages, and takings that fall short

This welding workshop in Maijdee opens for nine hours and has no electricity for about five of them. Three employees cost 3,000 taka a day in wages, and the day's work often does not reach 3,000 taka.

This metal and welding workshop on College Road in Maijdee, Noakhali, opens at 10 a.m. and closes at 7 p.m. For roughly five of those nine hours there is no electricity, and without power the machines stand still. The three employees still cost 3,000 taka a day in wages, plus incidentals, and the owner says the day's takings frequently do not even reach 3,000 taka. Another steel and welding workshop in Senbagh with 27 employees faces hourly cuts and a forced 7 p.m. closure, and its owner does not know where wages and rent will come from. The distribution utilities confirm the shortfall: daytime demand of 32 MW against 11-14 MW supplied, evening demand of 36 MW against about 17, and 10-12 hours of power per feeder per day.

Lessons

  1. 1.Welding runs entirely on electricity: when the power goes the machines stop, but the wage clock does not
  2. 2.The bigger the payroll, the heavier an outage costs: where an outside supply is unreliable, low fixed costs are the only defence

Published with the person's permission, without revealing who they are.

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