Against Exploitation and Self-Exploitation in Late-Night Kiosks

"Better late than never" was the motto of a picket held by the Freie ArbeiterInnen Union (FAU) Berlin on October 18, in Berlin Friedrichshain, with 60 protesters participating. The base union called attention to the extremely precarious employment situation at late-night kiosks. The picket was inspired by a fired employee, who worked in a late-night kiosk named "Mumbai Corner". Daniel R. had been working there until the conflict begun.

"After an unpaid industrial placement, I was happy to make some additional money", the worker, who gets unemployment compensation, tells, "but enough is enough." Daniel R. went to court claiming unpaid wages. The picket thought to support Daniel beyond the trial because the shop owner has not only instructed his attorney to sue the worker but also some libertarian media which reported about it.

Interkomm, an urban district organisation and FAU Berlin endorse reflections about employments in your neighbourhood and reinforce solidarity with workers as Daniel. At the same time, FAU Berlin is looking at the whole picture: "It is not only some precarious employments we face, it is a economy of precarious jobs.“ Many shop holders have started their own late-night kiosks or snack bar to escape from a precarious situation, but they also run kiosks with precarious jobs, thereby the exploitation continues. Harsh competition results in self-exploitation and the exploitation of cheap labour force.

FAU Berlin

See:

FAU Berlin: www.fau.org/ortsgruppen/berlin

Court Hearing Details: www.labournet.de

Interkomm Report 05.10.2010 www.trend.infopartisan.net