Andrew's new job - picking onions ?!

Andrew has found a new job last Friday, and today is his first day to go. Needless to say, it's hard. Workers are supposed to pick onions under a beating sunshine and it is said to be paid by meters (not by hours?!) Andrew has went 77 meters today and when he came back home, he's almost been covered by dust (and so is our bathroom...) Andrew guess the pay might be 35 cents per meter, and of course all of us are surprised of its low pay. 35 cents!! Is this a joke?! Whereas he says it's better than nothing, but I'd say it's equivalent to nothing!! We asked him to ask his company how much the pay exactly is tomorrow.