Getting workers to prolong their contracts, fantasy style

[hymer]

Villainous people in a pseudo-medieval fantasy world have contracted the mining rights in an area, which allows access to a rare mineral. So there is plenty of filthy lucre to be gained! It is not a hospitable area, however, so most things (including labour) must be brought from elsewhere (via ship). The villainous types have been offering contracts of three to five years (the longer the better), which takes transportation into account. It's attractive to people like second sons of farmers, who won't be inheriting any land, and anyone trying to put together a sum of money to set up a shop or buy a house to settle down in.
Now, the villainous people have to seem to be treating these workers pretty well. If word got around, recruitment would become harder than it already is. They might even have to raise the wages! And since they have to account for transport, it really does help if they can get the people already on site to sign up for an additional period. They already know the ropes, too, and it's easier to fudge pay to people who die on the job, so the longer they stay, the better on that score, too. So they keep most of the wages back until the contract period expires, paying in scrip money until then.

So, what devious schemes could a villainous group hatch to encourage their labour force to stay longer than originally planned? The less likely to impact recruitment negatively, the better. So I imagine that the villainous types will be happy to have establishments like alehouses giving plenty of credit to siphon off parts of the wage, e.g. And if played correctly, it might even be seen as catering to their workers, rather than sucking money from them.

What other clever schemes occur to you, clever and devious playgrounders? Slaves and undead workers are right out (as the noble family who owns the land would cancel the contract), and constructs are prohibitively expensive. I'd rather focus on things they could do to make their current system more effective, also for thematic reasons, rather than replacing the workers entirely.

[Fable Wright]

People have done this in real life. Google "company towns". Also Shadowrun wage slavery.

These miners usually want to, say, get a house? Build a business?

The answer is to offer discounts to starting up a business or buying a home. The company owns the land, they're paying for its protection, and you know what? They can own a lot more. Rather than hire someone on company dime, rent the alehouse to a worker, as long as he gives up some of his profits. It looks like he'll get profits, and a lot of practice!

Just make sure that the profits aren't enough to buy another alehouse by nickel and diming him, but make sure he can feel richer.

Same thing with miners. They can get a house, now and here, if it comes out of their wages. They live here in their own place, and will never want to leave. Offer a pay increase (under the cost saved on transportation), make sure second term workers get benefits like first on line at the mess hall. Things both visible and things that don't cost anything.

Just make it feel like there's a lot to be gained by staying. Especially privileges. Also, gambling. Make sure it's legal and a little bit taxed (mandatory table fee?), and you'll fleece people like no one's business.

[JoeJ]

Villainous people in a pseudo-medieval fantasy world have contracted the mining rights in an area, which allows access to a rare mineral. So there is plenty of filthy lucre to be gained! It is not a hospitable area, however, so most things (including labour) must be brought from elsewhere (via ship). The villainous types have been offering contracts of three to five years (the longer the better), which takes transportation into account. It's attractive to people like second sons of farmers, who won't be inheriting any land, and anyone trying to put together a sum of money to set up a shop or buy a house to settle down in.
Now, the villainous people have to seem to be treating these workers pretty well. If word got around, recruitment would become harder than it already is. They might even have to raise the wages! And since they have to account for transport, it really does help if they can get the people already on site to sign up for an additional period. They already know the ropes, too, and it's easier to fudge pay to people who die on the job, so the longer they stay, the better on that score, too. So they keep most of the wages back until the contract period expires, paying in scrip money until then.

So, what devious schemes could a villainous group hatch to encourage their labour force to stay longer than originally planned? The less likely to impact recruitment negatively, the better. So I imagine that the villainous types will be happy to have establishments like alehouses giving plenty of credit to siphon off parts of the wage, e.g. And if played correctly, it might even be seen as catering to their workers, rather than sucking money from them.

What other clever schemes occur to you, clever and devious playgrounders? Slaves and undead workers are right out (as the noble family who owns the land would cancel the contract), and constructs are prohibitively expensive. I'd rather focus on things they could do to make their current system more effective, also for thematic reasons, rather than replacing the workers entirely.

This is a remote area, right? So all the things the workers need, including food, have to be bought at the company store because that's the only store in the area. And the store extends credit. Until the new workers get paid at the end of their first month, they're living entirely on store credit. Paying that off won't leave them with enough to get back to civilization, or to cover the next month's living expenses, so they have no real choice except to stay on and go into debt at the company store again. The living conditions can be really good, so it seems from the outside like it's a good job, but it's a trap.

[LordEntrails]

All the other stuff works as mentioned, but you can also make it simple, their are not enough slots for passengers on the ships heading out. After all, they are "full" with everything being mined. 100 people arrive per week, but only enough space for 25 of them to leave. Now you get a tidy little trade in black market passage and the ships captains can charge as much as they can get for those berths.

[Lord Torath]

This is a remote area, right? So all the things the workers need, including food, have to be bought at the company store because that's the only store in the area. And the store extends credit. Until the new workers get paid at the end of their first month, they're living entirely on store credit. Paying that off won't leave them with enough to get back to civilization, or to cover the next month's living expenses, so they have no real choice except to stay on and go into debt at the company store again. The living conditions can be really good, so it seems from the outside like it's a good job, but it's a trap.

I was also going to recommend the Company Store...

"St Peter don'cha call me, 'cuz I can't go! I owe my soul to the company store!"

[hymer]

Thanks for the thoughts so far! The company store makes a lot of sense, and allows for an interesting angle for smugglers and other black marketeers. This place looks like it could do with a thieves' guild, whose primary opponent is the mining consortium. But they can both agree on fleecing the workers.

[JoeJ]

I expect the workers are also living in company owned houses, with the rent deducted from their pay. These houses were probably built in mass, on land that is otherwise worthless, so even if they're fairly nice houses they didn't cost that much. The company also doesn't need to make a profit on the rent; they can simply break even and let the profits come from the actual business they're doing. That means it will appear that the workers are getting a great deal by paying less rent than they would for comparable housing somewhere else. And off course, company recruiters will talk about the housing but somehow forget to mention the inflated prices at the company store.

[hymer]

I expect the workers are also living in company owned houses, with the rent deducted from their pay. These houses were probably built in mass, on land that is otherwise worthless, so even if they're fairly nice houses they didn't cost that much. The company also doesn't need to make a profit on the rent; they can simply break even and let the profits come from the actual business they're doing. That means it will appear that the workers are getting a great deal by paying less rent than they would for comparable housing somewhere else. And off course, company recruiters will talk about the housing but somehow forget to mention the inflated prices at the company store.

Since the smelting is a dirty business, perhaps the cheap housing is likely to be on land that nobody else would want in the first place. Only new arrivals and the desperate take advantage of this cheap housing, but you can still recruit with the low rent. You might even allow workers to stay there for free if they do their own upkeep. You don't get paid for a day spent working on your own housing, of course, but you do get the materials and can borrow tools. And you'll do a good job, because you're going to be the one living in that place. No doubt the workers will get their own economy going on services for each other.

[Andor13]

If you want to throw in some evil fantasy angles:

The bordello is staffed by Succubus prostitutes who charm the workers into wanting to stay.

In the depths of the mines is a small colony of Illithids, which is known to the mine operators. When a worker is causing trouble/trying to organize/getting ready to leave with a fat purse, the mine operators arrange for them to become snack food.

The are an increasing number of Orc raids on the mine camps, which causes the operators to have to increase security, which expense needs to come from somewhere. Also property destroyed or stolen in these raids in the responsibility of the worker it was assigned to. Of course, the Orcs are actually working with the operators.

[Keltest]

If you want to throw in some evil fantasy angles:

The bordello is staffed by Succubus prostitutes who charm the workers into wanting to stay.

In the depths of the mines is a small colony of Illithids, which is known to the mine operators. When a worker is causing trouble/trying to organize/getting ready to leave with a fat purse, the mine operators arrange for them to become snack food.

The are an increasing number of Orc raids on the mine camps, which causes the operators to have to increase security, which expense needs to come from somewhere. Also property destroyed or stolen in these raids in the responsibility of the worker it was assigned to. Of course, the Orcs are actually working with the operators.

Adding to this, working in the mines sucks no matter how much you get paid for it. So maybe the company works to keep the town supplied with a black market drug that is highly addictive. It doesn't have to be cripplingly expensive or debilitating, but just enough to be another money sink they ultimately control. Make it illegal and the miners cant even openly seek help for fear of admitting to a crime, and if they want to leave they need to have another source available wherever theyre going.

[JoeJ]

Adding to this, working in the mines sucks no matter how much you get paid for it. So maybe the company works to keep the town supplied with a black market drug that is highly addictive. It doesn't have to be cripplingly expensive or debilitating, but just enough to be another money sink they ultimately control. Make it illegal and the miners cant even openly seek help for fear of admitting to a crime, and if they want to leave they need to have another source available wherever theyre going.

If the company is behind the drug, it should be something that doesn't significantly impair the workers' ability to work. Something like nicotine, rather than meth.

[Keltest]

If the company is behind the drug, it should be something that doesn't significantly impair the workers' ability to work. Something like nicotine, rather than meth.

I was thinking more like alcohol, but stronger.

[JoeJ]

I was thinking more like alcohol, but stronger.

The problem with alcohol is that it leaves addicts unable to work. If they try anyway, they tend to have lots of accidents, which damage expensive equipment and injure other workers so that they can't work either. An evil company would be more likely to ban alcohol on their property completely, but turn a blind eye to some kinds of stimulants.

[Keltest]

The problem with alcohol is that it leaves addicts unable to work. If they try anyway, they tend to have lots of accidents, which damage expensive equipment and injure other workers so that they can't work either. An evil company would be more likely to ban alcohol on their property completely, but turn a blind eye to some kinds of stimulants.

Historically speaking, banning alcohol has been just about the very best way to guarantee its presence in great abundance. Depending on what this mineral does to the surrounding area and what wildlife can live in proximity, alcoholic beverages could well be the only guaranteed safe thing to drink that isn't outright imported as well.

[JoeJ]

Historically speaking, banning alcohol has been just about the very best way to guarantee its presence in great abundance. Depending on what this mineral does to the surrounding area and what wildlife can live in proximity, alcoholic beverages could well be the only guaranteed safe thing to drink that isn't outright imported as well.

That's true, but that has rarely stopped companies from trying. And discovering that somebody important is a secret drinker might give the PCs some useful leverage.

[iTreeby]

Depending on the power level you could have a Forman use alter memory to make some e think they signed up for another 5 years even if they were planning on quitting. Even worse, they would have no documents regarding their new contract so they might not even get their bonus at the end.

[Bohandas]

get them in debt somehow.

Alternately, for a more fantasy bent, there's also mind control, charm spells, and demonic possession

Possibly getting in and out of the area could be difficult, perhaps necessitating travel through a cursed haunted forest or something, or sea-monster infested waters, or the place is hexed so that people setting out through the outlaying areas wind up back where they started, or something like that, so that while people are free to leave they are dependent on deliberately expensive and infrequent company transportation for safe transit to and from the area

[Pallas]

The company controls the means of communication to the outside, right? Then they can do this:

1) Forge letters from the workers to their families telling them the worker is in some kind of trouble and need money from their family.

2) When the family writes back, intercept the letters. They are not getting to the worker.

3) Repeat steps 1-2 until the family is in debt.

4) Tell the worker their family is in trouble. Since you have the letters from the previous steps, you know who the plausible debtors are.

5) Repeat step 4 until the worker is in dire straits, and willing to sign away their freedom for immediate money to mail back to their family.

6) One permanently indentured labourer.

Potential problems:
-It would look suspicious if you use this on everyone. On the other hand, unless you do the truth will get out. Maybe magically enforced contracts can prevent leaks?
-This may be more evil than you are trying to shoot for. There's regular evil, multiple horcruxes evil, and then there's the complete lack of conscience needed to carry out this plot.

Potential plothook:
-Someone notices a letter has the wrong pre-established code words and wants the party to confirm the situation.

[Honest Tiefling]

Is there any reason that the villains can't fabricate some threat? I mean, working in a mine, especially a non-modern one is definitely not fun, but it sure beats becoming ogre chow. The mine owners will of course, heroically spend money to keep their workers safe, but they just don't have the resources to keep them safe on the road, so why not stay?

Furthmore, isn't keeping the area safe the responsibility of the nobles? Would be such a pity if they were killed by the very threat they should have protected against, or found to be working with it...Such a pity.

I guess a less evil version might be securing just enough land to raise a family on for good workers and import some wives/husbands. Having a family might make some reconsider leaving.

[Bohandas]

Possibly they could be genuinely nice to their minions like Virtucon (from Austin Powers) or Globex (from The Simpsons)

[hymer]

@ Andor: Thanks! There's definitely going to be something fishy going on in the mines. I mean, how could there be a mine and the PCs not going down there to fight something?

@ Keltest: The kindly company doctor no doubt has ways to make the pain go away. And the first time is free. Of course, this is all strictly legal, s/he's a doctor, after all.

@ JoeJ & Keltest: Roman agricultural slaves were given quite a bit of wine to work on. No doubt it dulled the pain. I'm guessing many of the miners will be in no condition to operate heavy machinery during working hours. Accidents will be frequent, but what can you do? 'Tis the curse of the working classes, after all. I'm sure I can come up with some illegal vice for certain company officials.

@ iTreeby: It's a good idea, but it is rather more magical than I'm hoping for.

@ Bohandas: Travel already is difficult. You go by ship, or you don't go at all. I'm just worried those lazy sods would just go blabbing to the priest or the nobles or someone if they weren't allowed to leave town.
As for being nice, I'm sure they are very polite and considerate, asking the miners their opinions, listening to their gripes, and so on. Just a long as it doesn't cost anything. If it does, they'll find a way to share the cost with the workers, or play them out against each other so nothin needs to be done. Cooperation, you see!

@ Pallas: I'm thinking this is the sort of thing a particular recruiter might do. The company as a whole aren't interested in looking into their people's methods, but they don't want any part of getting caught doing something so obviously illegal.

@ Honest Tiefling: Mostly the problem is that the nobles would respond to any threats in the area. They're a fairly warlike bunch, and they like the annual payment for mineral rights. Anything threatening that would get a strong and decisive response. The company knows this, and they'd much rather the nobles just tended to their wars. Their attention can be seriously bad for business.

[AceOfFools]

Give them a substantive portion of their wages upon completion of the contract. Make a big deal about paying and reading those who hit that point. Everyone who makes it is an ad for how great this gig is.

Meanwhile, be a bit lax about security, health care and worker safety. Subtly encourage worker vs worker conflict. Do what you can to have to payout as few of the contract completion clauses as possible.

This has the advantage (as a driver of RPGable plot) of giving management specific targets to get desperate about, and timetables to plot drama about (when certain obligations come due).

[Honest Tiefling]

@ Honest Tiefling: Mostly the problem is that the nobles would respond to any threats in the area. They're a fairly warlike bunch, and they like the annual payment for mineral rights. Anything threatening that would get a strong and decisive response. The company knows this, and they'd much rather the nobles just tended to their wars. Their attention can be seriously bad for business.

Shall I assume that engineering a war somewhere else to cull the overpopulation of nosy nobles isn't an option? Or just murdering them outright?...Or marrying into the family?

[Grim Portent]

Depending on the rest of the society it might also be plausible to make slavery in all but name preferable to unenmployment or debt. Victorian era Britain had a thing called Workhouses, basically a way to force the unenmployed to work in horrible conditions for meager food and a bed if they were deemed undeserving of more humane poverty relief. The places were designed to be regimented, miserable and unformfortable deliberately. Inmates did get medical treatment though.

Adding in vagrancy laws would add another societal pressure for workers to keep working for even a rather unpleasant company provided it paid them and kept a roof over their heads.

Also harsh revolving door debtor's prisons, the kind that charge you for being an inmate.

With those things in place it doesn't matter if the company owners eat one in ten employees in front of a live audience, it's still preferable to something like debtor's prison or a workhouse provided you aren't part of the one in ten, maybe even if you are part of the one in ten if things are bad enough in them.

As for the stuff the company would do directly, real world options have already been mostly covered, overpriced company store, company owned houses with high rent and other things that eat away any chance to save up money. Money is the main source of social mobility in most societies, make sure it all goes away rather than into savings and people are basically trapped. Since this mine is geographically remote there's also a monopoly on goods and services.

One option is also that the ship that brings people to the work location is company/guild owned and former employees cannot buy a berth on it to return home, it's for business only. You quit while on site you lose your house, as it's only being rented by you and you have to find your own way back to the rest of civilisation. You want out you need to be part of that ship's crew and to quit while in the home port.

[Telonius]

Just how villainous (and how remote) are we talking here? Dead miners don't have to be paid, and if nobody knows they're going missing ...

(Shamelessly stolen from a recent episode of Doctor Who).

[Honest Tiefling]

Just how villainous (and how remote) are we talking here? Dead miners don't have to be paid, and if nobody knows they're going missing ...

Especially if there is a mining accident you can pin on an uncooperative underling or a outside force to use as a smoke screen. I like the way you think.

[Bohandas]

Just how villainous (and how remote) are we talking here? Dead miners don't have to be paid, and if nobody knows they're going missing

And in a fantasy world they can keep working as zombies

[Grim Portent]

I think outright murder and necromancy can be shelved since we were told slavery and criminality is out for risk of losing the permission of the landowners, stuff like that is hard to hide even in a remote location. I'm not sure outright EVIL is likely to pass even a cursory inspection no matter how clandestine.

[Slayn82]

If the issue is not paying, repeated monster outbreaks in the mines, of something like ochre jelly or giant spiders, both eliminates the workforce you should pay, and bring the excuse for the party of adventurers to the scene to deal with the issue, perharps despite the assurances of the owners that their own experts can contain the outbreak perfectly well.

If the issue is keeping a captive labor force, because they are very qualified, yeah, debt is the most devious way to go. Gambling, alcohol and other vices are designed to take the excess of money, but if your specialist are Dwarves or Gnomes, excess of alcohol is par for the course for them. Suddenly, the company takes a more violent approach, and other workers start understanding the trap they are in. One guy escapes from their camp, and begs to the party for help to release his coworkers.

[BreaktheStatue]

Why doesn't the company just do what MNCs and contractors do already: Charge their customers/patrons premium prices, and hire their labor almost exclusively from impoverished areas.

All the contractors in Iraq followed this model. Our Ugandan "security guards" made like 600 bucks a month, but they loved it because it was much better than they ever had a prayer of doing back home. They'd keep 100 bucks for themselves, send 500 back home to the wife, and buy a house in cash after like a 3-year stint. A lot of them signed-up continuously, for back-to-back tours.

No recruiting issues, and the company made ENORMOUS margins. They paid a little bit more for a supervisor or two who actually knew what they were doing, but with most manual type labor, you're basically paying for bodies.

Was it exploitative? Probably. I certainly never told the Ugandans what I was getting paid as a soldier, because I didn't want them to feel bad, but most of them seemed pretty happy about things because they were ballin' outta control by Ugandan standards.