Meaning
Piecework — labour paid by the completed job or measured 'task' rather than by the day or hour: so much for weeding a set number of rows, cutting a set quantity of cane, or digging a fixed area. To work 'by task' is to be paid on what you finish, a system rooted in plantation labour and still used in farm work.
Examples
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Dem pay wi by task-work, so much fi each row.
They pay us by piecework, so much for each row.
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Task-work pay betta if yuh fast.
Piecework pays better if you're fast.
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Him tek a task-work fi cut di cane piece.
He took a piece-rate job to cut the cane field.
Origin
From 'task' (a set job) + 'work'; piece-rate labour with roots in plantation days. See [[day-work]].
How it’s used
Piece-rate labour paid by the completed task, not the day. See [[day-work]].