1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:05,900 - And you're on strike? Yes, we're on strike. 2 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:11,900 - And why? We haven't had a proper pay deal since 3 00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:16,900 2006, so we haven't had a pay rise since then. 4 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:20,900 And on top of that, in the next pay round, the employers want 5 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:23,900 to abolish all the bonues. 6 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:26,900 Nobody wants to to work on Sundays. 7 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:31,900 We have the right to spend Christmas with our families too. 8 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:34,900 Our job is done by women who have children, and 9 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:36,900 that kind of thing is unfeasable. 10 00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:39,900 - Will you tell us where you work? 11 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:43,900 At the department store 'Galeria Kaufhof' at Berlin Ostbahnhof. 12 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:45,900 In the hardware department. 13 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:48,900 - How many in your workplace actively support the strike? 14 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:50,900 In my department? 15 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:54,900 I'm the only one in my department who's on strike. 16 00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:57,900 - And in the entire store? 17 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:01,900 I don't know. A fair few. 18 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:04,900 Thirty, forty? I don't know the exact numbers. 19 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:08,900 - Do you think the struggle will succeed? 20 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:10,900 It must succeed. As this kind of thing has to stop. 21 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:13,900 Everything gets more and more expensive. The Berlin wall fell 22 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:16,600 17 years ago and it's about time that pay and conditions 23 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:19,900 in east Germany are the same as in the west. 24 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:24,900 The working conditions have got worse, in particular as the same work 25 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:27,900 used to be done by significantly more workers. 26 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:31,900 We used to have a lot more time to do things like stocktaking, stock checking, 27 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:35,900 paperwork, tidying the shelves, all those kind of things. 28 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:43,900 There used to be six of us in our shop for this work. 29 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:47,900 Now we're five - in theory. But one of us is always either on holiday 30 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:54,900 put to work in a different department. So it's very rare that all 5 of us 31 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:57,900 are able to do the work we're meant to be there for. 32 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:03,900 And when less people are meant to do the same work in the same time, 33 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:08,900 it's clear what the effect of that is. You have to run around more... 34 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:12,900 - Are these conditions exceptional at your workplace? 35 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:18,900 No. It's no exception. Absolutely not. At the service counters... 36 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:24,900 there are less and less service staff - in our shop we have a very large... 37 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:28,900 meat counter with only one colleague serving, and when the person... 38 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:32,900 ...on the fish counter has their break, 39 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:36,900 he has to serve the customers with fish at the same time... 40 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:38,900 And then the level of staff has been thinned out so much, 41 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:40,900 that 'the thread snaps'. 42 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:44,900 For the past ten years the pay rises have been minimal 43 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:49,900 but the opening hours have got later and later, antisocial hours 44 00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:54,900 Ten years ago our workday was over at 6.30pm, 45 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:57,900 we could go for a coffee or a beer together after work 46 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:02,900 the entire communication amongst colleagues has become more difficult. 47 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:04,900 - Has there been support from outside the company? 48 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:08,900 Little. I would like more coverage in the media 49 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:13,900 It would be nice if our customers didn't go shopping at times when 50 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:18,900 the companies feel they absolutely have to open at the employees' cost 51 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:24,900 or if they would decide not to buy things from strike-breaking companies 52 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:27,900 on strike days - that would be good support as this would have 53 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:29,900 a noticeable affect. 54 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:56,900 Why am I on strike? For more money! -Why? 55 00:03:57,000 --> 00:03:59,900 Because everythings got more expensive! -Where do you work? 56 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:04,900 For the supermarket 'Plus'. -How many workmates are on strike? 57 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:08,900 50 or 60 of us. 58 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:10,900 -What are your working conditions like at the moment? 59 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:12,900 Cold. Very cold. 60 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:15,900 - What does your boss think about you striking? 61 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:22,900 He says we should go back to work. 62 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:26,900 They don't like it much when we're on strike. 63 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:28,900 - Are you confident? 64 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:30,900 Yes, I'm confident. 65 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:35,900 - And where do you work? 66 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:38,900 At 'Karstadt Sport'. 67 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:40,900 - And are many on strike there? 68 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:43,900 It's so-so. 69 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:47,900 - Do you have many workers on temporary contracts? 70 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:49,900 - Or are there other reasons? 71 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:55,900 Other reasons. They're scared they'll get into trouble. 72 00:04:57,000 --> 00:04:59,900 - Can we ask you why you're on strike? 73 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:05,900 Why we're on strike? For more money and for better shifts. 74 00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:07,900 - Do you work in western or eastern Berlin? 75 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:11,900 In west Berlin. -What are your working conditions like? 76 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:16,900 Quite bad. In the last 5 years 120 jobs have been cut 77 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:21,900 and we haven't had any pay rise for 12 years. It's time it was more. 78 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:25,900 You can't live off that money any more. 79 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:28,900 - Are many people on strike in your workplace? 80 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:31,900 In our branch, first just 7 were on strike, now there are 24. 81 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:34,900 Now our employees are slowly noticing what's happening. 82 00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:37,900 - And will the shop have to shut? 83 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:43,900 Unfortunately the company has been clever enough to find people 84 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:47,900 who will work for 3 Euro per hour. 85 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:49,900 -And they aren't in solidarity with the strike? 86 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:55,900 No, not at all. They're agency workers. They can be put to work anyhow. 87 00:05:56,000 --> 00:05:59,900 -What have you done against it, what can you do against it? 88 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:03,900 We can't do anything against it as legally the company can 89 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:07,900 replace the workers who are missing. 90 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:12,900 -What kind of support would you hope for from outside the company? 91 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:15,900 First, that everyone in the company would come out on strike 92 00:06:16,000 --> 00:06:17,900 as it affects them first. It's not just us here who 93 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:23,900 get so little money, it's all workers. 94 00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:32,900 And that all people employed in retail would go on strike, stop work 95 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:35,900 and not do any more work. So the employers 96 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:39,900 notice that this is serious. 97 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:43,900 - How do you think people outside of your company could support you? 98 00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:49,900 From outside? The companies that deliver the goods should join the strike. 99 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:54,900 So it all comes to a standstill. That must happen. 100 00:06:56,000 --> 00:06:57,900 -Thank you very much.