檳城夜香工友勞動記錄
Documenting the Labours of Penang's Night Soil Worker
S先生
Mr. S
S先生堅持不要公開真名。他雖然從事倒夜香行業30多年，但據他描述，孩子們直到成人，都不知道父親的職業是甚麼。太太倒是知道的，S先生當年認識太太時就開門見山地坦白：“我的工作就是這樣，你還要不要（嫁給我）？如果OK就不必害怕，反正是一份就算吃不胖但也餓不死人的工作。”
對S先生來說，夜香工友的工作倒也不盡是壞事。因為工作性質的緣故，夜香工友的工作時長比一般工作來得短。早上忙碌完後，工人們下午可以去做其他工作來補貼收入。有些到威省一帶接私人的倒糞工作，有的幫居民沖洗廁所，也有的到建築地盤去當工地工友等等。此外，工作享有年度加薪，90年代中後期也會按年發話紅；超時加班會有加班費，公共假期上班可以領當日雙倍薪水，福利比當時許多工作都完善許多。
夜香工友也和其他市政局工友一樣，享有免費醫藥福利。潮興公司宿舍的前方有個診所，有醫生駐診，專門為住在該地區的市政局員工服務。夜香工友、清道夫，電車和巴士的司機等，都會到那裡看病，醫生也會處理開病假單事宜。此外，如果當時發生什麼疫病，市政局都會讓工友們接受疫苗接種。
Mr. S would like to keep himself anonymous.
According to Mr. S, he had been in the night soil profession for more than 30 years but none of his children know even until their adult years. His wife does though. Mr. S confessed when they first met. He told her, “well this is what I do for a living. Would you still take my hand? Fear not if you are fine with it because this job will keep us alive”.
It wasn’t a bad job as a night soil worker after all. Because of job nature and demand, this profession offered the workers a better window for second job due to their working hours were relatively shorter than others. After the busy morning, workers were available for other jobs in the afternoon. Some crossed the straits to Butterworth for private cleaning jobs or building workers at construction sites. Besides, this job provided annual salary promotion and bonuses after the 90s, not to mention there were overtime pay and double pay on public holidays. The benefits were much better than any other available jobs.
On top of that , they enjoyed medical benefits like other council workers too. There used to be a clinic nearby the hostel of Kongsi Teo Heng. There were doctors serving the government servants. Night soil workers, street sweepers, tram and bus drivers were there for medical attention and vaccination.
沒有工作的午後，工友們聚在宿舍裡的話，除了聊天外，還會進行一些消遣比如打羽球，賭博，甚至早期也有些工友會抽鴉片。S說，他們所居住的潮興宿舍內，有個羽毛球場，是工友們自己出錢修的。這個羽球場偶爾也會有外人來借用，但這點當然得向市政局裡的頭頭們保持秘密。賭桌的內容也很豐富。有麻將、四色牌等等，過年過節的時候，執法人員閉一眼，工友們還會公開聚賭，很多人贏了錢，會存起來用在神明的祭拜儀式上。
當然，工作也有不順心的時候，尤其是眾人對夜香工友的歧視眼光，讓S十分介意。S也曾經歷過被人當面吐口水的羞辱，有一次在忍無可忍之下，他揮起拳頭打了對方。或許是擔心家人經歷跟他一樣的遭遇，所以S在受訪過程中一再提醒，自己的名字斷不可以曝光讓孩子知道。
無論如何，在嚴峻的工作環境和條件之下，S也同樣不斷告訴自己和別人往好的方面想。“開開心心就能把日子過好。工作而已，為什麼要生氣？糞池有時候來不及清理，人們的日子還是一樣要過啊！”
Workers remained busy with many activities at the hostel too when they were not occupied with other jobs. Chit-chatting, playing badminton, and gambling were some of the usual. Mr. S said there was a badminton court inside the hostel built out of the workers’ pocket. Sometimes outsiders would come to use it without alarming the supervisor and one of their favourite past time was a little winning game on the table such as Mahjong, Four Colour Cards etc. The police officers closed one eye on the gambling game during festive seasons for them to have some fun. Those who won much would save the money for prayers later.
But of course there were unhappy moments especially when they were discriminated. Mr. S once being spitted right in front of his face. Such rude act provoked him and he repaid with a punch. Maybe it was out of his concern that his family would be treated as badly, Mr. S repeatedly reminding throughout the interview to keep his name secret to avoid alerting his children.
Anyway, Mr. S reminded himself to stay positive under such challenging working conditions. “It is just a job. There’re bunch of works to do. Stay calm and live. Life goes on!”