Laborers are often engaged in offering services such as manpower, where application of physical force is in need, and are generally seen on construction sites, building facilities and sometimes on tunnels and deep excavations.
Duties of Laborers:
In their nature of work, it’s always been a common belief that workers that offer physical labour services’ lives are on danger. However, it’s been a part of their lifestyle and they just have to be extra careful in handling heavy workloads. Enumerated below are some of their responsibilities:
- In charged of preparing and restoring construction sites
- Mixing cements and transferring construction materials to the site (sand and gravel and cements)
- Maintaining the smooth flow of machineries
- Handling most of the hand tools (handsaws for example)
- Assembling scaffoldings
- Restoring/Cleaning tools used
- Determining defects on sites
- Has the control on cite materials to be used
- Restoration of damaged establishments (roads, tunnels and pipelines)
Educational / Training Requirements of Laborers:
- Being a laborer doesn’t require any bachelor’s degree; it only requires a high school diploma.
- Oftentimes, laborers are applying for positions such as masonry and pipe fitting, and it also needs further experience.
- An experience on other duties (masonry, painting, etc) would be a plus, but would definitely not a requirement.
Other qualifications of a Laborer:
- Fast learner and be able to do tasks as expected
- Must be resistant on changing weather conditions (Continuous working)
- Willingness to work longer hours or even on weekends and on a graveyard shift
Work Environment of laborers:
It’s in construction sites where most of the laborers are seen; they can never be on offices due to the nature of their work. In almost all times they are handling tradesman tools, cements, gravel, and other hazardous materials on constructions. Sometimes, they can also be seen on real estate areas, subdivisions, residential areas, roads and highways, and also on factories and mining industries.
Salary of Laborers:
In 2008, the Bureau of Labour Statistics stated that laborers are paid with an hourly rate of $ 13.71. Greater benefits would also be given for those associated in unions such as the Union of North America.
Nonetheless, salaries of labourers will be depending on how heavy their work load is, their employer, and the number of hours they are working on a particular project. However, labourers with a lot more experience will surely stand out, and be open to more job opportunities.