Worker

Cannot we live in peace?

Camouflage (Kassad)

## Introduction

The **Worker** is the GLA's construction and resource gathering unit. All GLA generals have them in their arsenal, except Mohmar "Deathstrike", who uses Construction Dozers instead.

## Overview

Due to little funds, the GLA cannot afford purchasing any construction machinery for base-building, except for Mohmar. In order to make sure their workforce is always readily available, the GLA staff targets strong, able-bodied men in their occupied territories. According to information provided by dissidents, the staff disguises the compulsory labour as conscription notices and analyzes their academic background, with a preference on those having any university certificate for engineering. They are used in constructing bases, producing vehicles, minesweeping and repairing.

Although their hardest work ends generally after the base is constructed, the fact that they need to live there for 3 years without getting paid (only paid $500 upon finishing the "service"), caused human rights organizations to accuse the GLA of slavery. They work 10 hours a day, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. but have no day off and have very uncomfortable living conditions (see GLA Factory for more information). Besides, punishments are pretty common in the workplace in the form of public shaming via scoldings or beatings. Worse, at times they need to work in the heat of a battle, putting their lives at risk. It is a hell on Earth they can't escape.

The only way to their liberation is when either American or Chinese forces succeed in destroying the GLA base or at least have their workplaces (Factory and Supply Center) captured. However, they do give the two enemy nations a big trouble: a schism of refugees. Both nations are said to rescue 100 to 400 workers per successful operation and their barracks could not accomodate so many. Luckily, the US Government is experienced in refugee relocation and right to asylum, so most of the liberated workers live in USA's refugee camps (with the UN's support), with China providing its assistance in terms of family reunion services as well as providing basic amenities from volunteers as well as PLA soldiers.

Workers are the basic construction unit that are, name-wise, human workers. They only wear civilian clothing and glow-in-the-dark safety vests and use a sledgehammer to do the construction jobs. In terms of resource collecting, they transport the supplies themselves. They also have a minesweeper to clear mines, albeit one by one. A Worker is the first unit to appear on the map along with the Factory. He can build all GLA structures from the Barracks to the Elbrus Storm. Although as not effective for construction as his American and Chinese counterparts due to his lack of power tools, the GLA Worker is much cheaper to train and has a skill that other construction units don't have: he can also collect supplies, even though he cannot collect as much as a Supply Truck or a Chinook (75$ per carriage) but that can be easily compensated if you train a lot of them thanks to their cheap price. Compared to the Chinese or American Dozer, Workers are more readily available, they can be trained from the GLA Factory, the Command Truck, as well as theMobile Supply Stash. So, in comparison to the Chinese and the Americans, it's much harder to cut off the GLA's ability to rebuild their base.

However be very cautious with these builders because as an unarmed infantry unit, they cannot defend themselves at all while dozers still can by crushing enemy footmen. Also, they are not as fast and durable as Dozers (however some GLA generals have Biker Workers in their arsenal, which are more expensive but much faster and slightly more durable). If you intend to send them away from your base (to build defences or gather faraway supplies for example), make sure to escort them and to protect them, either by escorting them with units or applying GPS Scrambler to them. However, this does come with the advantage of making it harder for the GLA's enemies to acquire their arsenal, as the GLA has no dozers to depilot and capture except for Mohmar.

## Assessment

Pros:

* Cheap (200$).
* Can build all GLA Structures.
* Can collect supplies.
* More easily available than dozers, as they can be trained from the Factory, the Command Truck, and the Mobile Supply Stash.
* Biker versions are the fastest construction unit in Contra.

Cons:

* Slow (the Worker Shoes upgrade can improve their speed however).
* Extremely easy to kill. Same applies to the Biker variant.
* Cannot collect many resources at a time (75$).
* Unarmed.

## Quotes (In English)

The Worker shares his voice lines with the *Zero Hour* version.

### When Selected

* Yes?
* What do you want with me?
* Do not hurt me!
* I will obey...
* I'm just a peasant...
* I'm hungry!
* Cannot we live in peace?
* Ow! Okay, okay, I will work!

### When Ordered to Move

* I do what I am told...
* I will go.
* \*panting\*
* Can I have some shoes? (before Worker Shoes upgrade)
* You change your mind often...
* Does it have to be so far?

### When Ordered to Build a Structure

* If that is what you want...
* This is hard work!
* I will do what I must.
* This hammer is heavy!
* Are there not better tools?
* I will try to hurry.
* I will do the best I can.

### When There is no Room for Construction

* There's no enough room for that building!
* I can't build there!
* That building cannot fit there!

### When Construction is Complete

* Our work is complete.
* I am finished with the building!
* Building construction has been completed.
* That was a lot of work...

### When Ordered to Repair a Structure

* I should repair that.
* Starting repairs.
* It is not looking too good, is it?
* It already needs repairs?
* I guess I should help out...
* I will help...

### When Ordered to Collect Supplies

* That's a lot of supplies!
* I will carry as much as I can...
* My hands have splinters!
* Okay, here I go...

### When Supply Source has Run Dry

* There are no more supplies to carry.
* I cannot see any more supplies.
* This supply pile is empty.

### When Ordered to Garrison a Building

* I will go in that building.
* What is in there?
* Is it safe?

### When Worker Shoes Upgrade is Purchased

* I like my new shoes!
* These shoes fit nicely!
* Thank you for the new shoes!

### When Wounded

* I am but a worker!
* I have no weapons!
* Ow! I never hurt you!
* Hey, stop!
* I am innocent!
* It is not me who you want!

## Trivia

* The Worker's voice lines suggest that he is abused by his commanders and suffering from starvation. Even the Biker version displays those lines. However, the Persian voice lines display a more grumpy personality.
* One of his move order voice lines consists of him painfully panting as if making a tremendous effort. This emphasizes on his slow speed despite the fact that he is trying very hard.
* While General Mohmar "Deathstrike" primarily uses his own version of the Construction Dozer, even he cannot ignore the power of workers. Whenever an enemy destroys one of his buildings to the GLA hole, after a while a worker will appear to rebuild the fallen structure.
* While the concept of workers building structures is real, the in-game worker that can build a single structure is not realistic at all. There is still no way for a person to build a structure in a few seconds/minutes with only a sledgehammer. However, if GLA was a real life faction, it is believed that the base's structures will be built by masses of these workers for at least a few days with simple mechanical tools. Also, it is very unlikely that a real life GLA general would send a worker to a damaged structure for repairs in the heat of battle especially the front defenses as they are quite valuable to be lost at enemy's gunfire. Besides, it is highly unrealistic to have workers as enemy targets since they fall under the civilian category and killing them will result in international uproar.
	+ The existence of numerous workers also give any peacekeeping organization a big task to relocate them.