Wage watchers: How much does an electric voltage monitor earn?

We asked Karel Danau, 31, from Lede how he spends his €2,000 net per month.

What do you for a living?
We manage the metro and tram high and low voltage grids and co-ordinate technical interventions. When there are problems on the grid, we send people to fix them. The best part is the variety; you never know what the day will bring. Also, we have varied hours, which we define ourselves together with our colleagues. We work with a young team, and the camaraderie is very strong.

How many hours to you work per week?
That’s difficult to say because we were in a continuous system, morning, afternoon and night. Sometimes I work seven days a week, and then I recuperate the extra days in the next week. We start from a 40-hour per week system, but one week might be 56 hours and another much less. One advantage is that we don’t have any overtime on any given day because we all take turns.

Are you satisfied with your salary?
It’s more than decent; I think we’re well paid for our jobs. And we have work security, which is not unimportant these days.

What do you like spending money on?
On going out occasionally to a nice restaurant with my partner or on good times with friends. We go once in a while to the bar, to performances at cultural centres and to the cinema. Also, I also like going to antique markets. I don’t collect anything specific, but I am into retro and design.

What do you dislike spending money on?                                                 
I attach little importance to cars, so I wouldn’t spend much on one. Also, expensive gadgets like mobile phones and the latest technologies don’t do much for me.

Do you have any big dreams?
I just became a father, and my biggest hope is that everything goes well for my daughter. I want to give her a good future and to be a good father. The most important thing is that your loved ones are in good health.