Hilton Chen
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Laborers unload charcoal from a barge in Dhaka. They are literally paid a piece rate for each load of charcoal they carry on their heads to the waiting truck. When they dump the charcoal into the bed of the truck, another worker hands them a small plastic token that they collect as they head back to the barge to carry more charcoal. At the end of the day the tokens are counted and redeemed for cash. The same compensation scheme is used for other types of labor on the riverside such as unloading fruits and vegetables.
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Laborers unload charcoal from a barge in Dhaka. They are literally paid a piece rate for each load of charcoal they carry on their heads to the waiting truck. When they dump the charcoal into the bed of the truck, another worker hands them a small plastic token that they collect as they head back to the barge to carry more charcoal. At the end of the day the tokens are counted and redeemed for cash. The same compensation scheme is used for other types of labor on the riverside such as unloading fruits and vegetables.