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The Freeter Union is an
individual membership union.

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It does not matter how you work, anyone can join.

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Freeters are included,
but so are others.

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Compared to other individual membership unions,

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there are many people
working on non-regular contracts.

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So-called “precariato”, those whose
jobs and survival became unstable

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due to the neoliberal economy
from the core.

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People ask us what are Freeters.
I guess they like the word Freeters.

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But it is really hard
to explain what is it about.

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We define it ourselves
most of the times in terms of

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the contracts being in behalf
of the employers.

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That is often we work
as temporary workers,

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independent contractors and
you are more or less working in a

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corporate environment like any
other employee, but your contract is

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a temporary one, meaning you
have no rights what so ever.

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But then again, there are
other opinions saying that

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we don't really want to define ourselves

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in terms of our contracts
with our employers.

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That is not where we
want to begin from.

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It's more about our entire lifes,
how the changes that

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are taking place since the 1990ies
in Japan are affecting us.

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The question is who are the Freeter?

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A lot of us are people
who just refuse to enter

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more into the traditional cooperations.

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It's very difficult to try
to explain where we stand.

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in relation to these older
more secure pasts.

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Because a lot of us didn't
choose it and a lot of us

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refuse to join, a lot of us
where part of a cooperation or

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had more secure jobs, but dropped out.

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As we chose more the
alternative lifes

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the whole landscape, the whole employment
process of cooperations

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sort of changed over
the last ten years.

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So what was more like voluntary
dropping out or voluntary freelancing

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became more and more difficult to
the point that our daily lifes

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became pretty much unliveable.

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Not to say they're all the same
(Mainstream Unions)

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but separate unions developed for each
company throughout the post-war era,

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company unions in short.

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Perhaps out of fear that if the company were

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to decline the union would follow its fate,

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interests of the company could take
priority over workers interests.

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With some unions being
exceptions, of course.

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As an union for individual workers
we are able to focus

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on the interests of our members.

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But this is the advantage of all individual membership unions.

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What makes the Freeter Union
unique among unions

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with a similar structure is ...

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There is something unsettled?
This is my impression. How should I say?

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Tight dicipline and control
isn't our style. Like...

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Even with unions there could
be top-down tendancies.

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Like someone could be
patronizing to others.

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These kinds of unions could
still work for its membership,

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but there is already a
power structure within the union.

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You can't criticize or raise
questions towards this person.

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The freeter union isn't
like that, is it?

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Let's see: I sense that the
people present at the time

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when the freeter union became
active in labor disputes

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and those who understood its
importance and joined later,

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had been involved in movements
in one way or another.

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So that was around
2006 and 2007.

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Up til then, that was the 3rd May Day,
that this organisation coordinated,

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but it has always
just been about May Day.

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There were not really other
activities on a daily basis.

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In 2006, the police arrested the DJ
of the Sound Car and 2 demonstrators

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After this repression many
of the members spread and so

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at the end, there were only
three or four members left.

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And a new movement
came out of the repression.

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And that's the Freeter Movement.

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The reason why I'm
a member of the Freeter Union

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that before I have also organised
demos against war and poverty

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and the Freeter Union did the same.

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Why I went to the Freeter Union?

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I have organised a Demo against
the war in Iraq and the

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Freeter had that demo therefore,
coincidentally, I was taking part.

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After the arrest of a person

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I worked for his release
and then I became a member.

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From having observed oppression
within movements at close hand like

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macho leadership and its
destructive effects,

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efforts are being made
constantly to ensure

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it does not happen in this union.

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There is a broad consensus
to leave that culture out.

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It seems to go without saying.

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Due to extremely insecure jobs and
lives, while having little or no savings,

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members are critically
effected by 'dry periods'.

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It could mean not being
able to pay rent and

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forced out of home within
a short period of time.

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There are hurdles to applying for
welfare which require assistance.

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So the union is more then
a work-centered association.

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Sharing a will to life and survival
and the need for each other.

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in defending multiple aspects of our livelihoods
is also characteristic of the Freeter Union.

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I am working on the problem
of living space, because

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at the end of last year (2008) a lot
of temp workers were fired.

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How can the problem of
unemployment be solved quickly?

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Since this March (2009) we are building
up the Freedom and Survival House.

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So, we thought let's find suitable
housing to make into a shelter,

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and create minimaly
exploitive workplaces together

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for when there is no work.

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We're initiating these kinds
of projects right now.

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Spider TV 1
Interview with residents

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It does look a bit dirty,

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but in general things
are fine.

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This is the room for
materials and tools.

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And later there will be
a room, too.

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That is the room of the Indy Union.
And I am from the Movie Union.

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Vegetable City
Narita Farmer's Market

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Making Mochi
at New Year

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The current Labor Union Law differs
from e.g. the U.S.

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According to the code employers
must hold negotiations

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if there is one member from
the union at the workplace.

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You always say soon,
but then nothing happens.

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Do you understand?

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After deciding, the next negotiations
will be held on the 23rd of October.

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Hey, you are always making
suggestions for negotiations

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but nothing concrete.

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You are not doing anything and
Mr. K is just talking rubbish.

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Do you betray us?

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We don't betray you at all.

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Why are you not answering then?

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You only say, that you are
talking to each other and

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decide, if you are going to answer.

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Are you a board member?

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Your colleagues are saying, that Mr. K

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has changed the date of the negotiation.
Is that true?

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I haven't heard about that.

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Some employers do not admit
their mistakes right away.

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In which case we take action
in front of their business

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with many union members
present to add pressure.

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The employers will understand that
the union is not to be taken lightly

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and be ready to negotiate or settle.

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Finally there is the rodo iinnkai,
like a labor relations board.

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It is a municipal government organization
that regulates

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according to the Labor Union Law.

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A company might just
choose to flee.

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In which case we
take this next stage

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of taking direct action
to the company.

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And you see, this is 2 hours
from Tokyo

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but that happens a lot,
where a person might be

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working in Tokyo and the
manager or the president

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or the owner of the business
is living 2 hours out of Tokyo.

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In which case we would make
the trip directly to their homes.

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And make it clear that we are
not going away.

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And that there is no use in
prolonging the process,

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that what they are doing
is clearly illegal and

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make it clear, that going to
court or hiring lawyers

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isn't going to be a
solution for them.

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After direct actions we have
even other steps.

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That's when we come
with the megaphones,

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and we also publizes
everything on the internet.

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And also a lot of us were
working in just NPOs

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Labour Unions or Independent
Publishers sort of part of the left,

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whose employment practices
were horrible, but the

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other mainstream unions
wouldn't take on their cases.

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So a lot of people working in
non-traditional work also came

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to us and we negotiated with an NPO
or an alternative political party

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e.g. like the
Okinawa Independence Party.

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And we treat them
as any other employer.

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There he is!
Long time no see!

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Hello! I am here to claim
negotiations.

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We are claiming negotiations.
Mr. Yaara!

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Mister Yaara!

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Hello?
Why can't you meet with us?

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Don't you refuse the
negotiations.

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Administration problems?
With you?

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No! This is simply refusing
to negotiate.

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Shut up and come out now!

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We want to negotiate
with you, Mr. Yara.

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Mr. Yara, come out!
We want to negotiate.

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We are from the General
Freeter Union! Good day!

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Today we are here to negotiate with
the Manager of Alice's T-Shirt-Center

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Yara, Chosuke.

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Comrades, let's make the first chant!

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Chant! Yes!
Chant! Yes!

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Yara, Chosuke should
negotiate with us.

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Alice's T-Shirt-Center Yara Chosuke
should negotiate with us.

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We are fighting together!
Until we will win!

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Fight!
We will make it!

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Many of the independent membership
unions have paid staff.

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The Freeter Union is the only union
we're on the few unions

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where we are all volunteers
and not professionals.

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And in these unions it would be
that each paid union staff

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has somewhere between 30 to 50
disputes, cases at any time.

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The person who joined the union
or has scribed in to would go

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with the Union staff, they work
one on one and go to negotiations

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with just the two people,
the aggrieved and the union staff.

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Whereas for here, pretty much
everyone's a volunteer for each dispute

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and each individual case, you have
a turnout of like seven people.

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And that's what makes
this union pretty special.

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In that way we follow in the footsteps
of the struggles of like many

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parttime female workers, because
of course they were the ones, who

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had been fighting that for a long
time, being considered dependent,

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and not receiving any benefits,
being paid incredibly low wages

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for long hours and not really
being considered a worker

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by any of the unions.

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So we are not really new.

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We are just continuing something that
other groups have always been doing.

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Especially female workers.

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There has been criticism that the
whole issue is sort of sexist, because

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that has been the norm. It has always
been normal for women and then

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as soon as men begin to make these
wages or work under these conditions

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suddenly the media is exploding:
What's wrong with this world?

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Or something like that.

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The freeter union website has
a form for work related problems.

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First a person could
contact us by email.

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People describe their problems
in detail and send them in.

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Also there are certain hours for
telephone consultations,

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twice every week.

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Finally, a person can
settle a labor dispute,

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referring to could a person
for consultations and negotiations.

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Now a lot of women from the
Amusement Industry are coming to us.

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That was not to be anticipated.

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I am working in a Cabaret.

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My boss abuses me.
Sexual harrassment, power harrassment

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He doesn't pay us and e.g. he
has called me on my day-off.

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He asks us to work.

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If we say no, then he says,
we are going to loose our job.

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There are all sorts of cases, but the
most frequent are sudden dismissals.

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People are fired without
given prior notice.

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They have no income
from the next day, so

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they come to the union
seeking assistance.

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After collective negotiations,
either the dismissal is taken back or

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00:18:28,822 --> 00:18:36,233
compensation corresponding to
“dismissal notification pay” will be paid.

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That was - campaigning against
these temp agencies, that are

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becoming really large and powerful
over just a few years

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e.g. the Goodwill Cooperation has
bought a Baseball Stadium.

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The TWU is an individual membership
union for temp agency workers.

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Goodwill is a day labor agency that
has become a public scandal

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00:19:01,521 --> 00:19:07,088
and so a Goodwill Union was
created together with them.

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00:19:07,088 --> 00:19:12,181
Mcrew Union is a joint effort
against yet another

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appaling labor agency that sends
day workers to construction sites.

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Code of Conduct
It is forbidden to harass others.

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00:19:18,800 --> 00:19:23,482
No protests vests, banners and
bandanas in the building!

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00:19:23,482 --> 00:19:26,678
The Freeter Union is organising
every year a May Day.

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called the "May Day for Freedom
and Survival", which is a

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00:19:29,577 --> 00:19:31,478
really independent and fun May Day.

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Free health care!

236
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Secure our lives!

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00:19:40,702 --> 00:19:44,120
If you can't do it,
then stop taking taxes from us.

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00:19:44,124 --> 00:19:48,502
In the sound demonstrations,
for example much effort

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00:19:48,502 --> 00:19:53,634
goes towards expression, that is
creativity and effective communication.

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Whereas in the past, for Japanese unions

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00:19:56,429 --> 00:20:04,187
as well as New Left groups,
demonstrations were a formality.

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Meaning, there was a traditional style and

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00:20:08,505 --> 00:20:14,345
format that was being followed,
doing things that way.

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From the outside it appeared
as if the demonstrators

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00:20:19,726 --> 00:20:22,081
weren't putting their feelings
into the march.

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00:20:22,081 --> 00:20:25,726
It wasn't fun for participants either.

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00:20:25,727 --> 00:20:28,818
We could just be walking
in silence, for example.

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00:20:28,818 --> 00:20:32,309
Or else, shouting out words
that were ferocious, but only

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00:20:32,309 --> 00:20:35,500
on the surface, repeating what
was being said by another person.

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00:20:35,500 --> 00:20:40,475
That's how the demonstrations
were before with social movements.

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The Freeter Union is not the
only group, but one of them.

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It matters a lot to us that
we produce our own way of

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00:20:48,612 --> 00:20:51,377
articulating ourselves,
and much more of it.

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00:20:51,377 --> 00:20:56,572
At the sound demo a
sound truck plays music while

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00:20:56,573 --> 00:21:01,952
people dance to the demonstration,
and also make their statements.

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00:21:06,603 --> 00:21:11,254
Origuchi (Goodwill president) is guilty
of death by overwork.

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00:21:11,500 --> 00:21:17,657
I am also often participating
in different women's groups

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00:21:17,660 --> 00:21:23,801
e.g. a support group
against self-harm.

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00:21:23,801 --> 00:21:28,801
Around 90 % of people with
self-harm behaviour are women.

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00:21:28,801 --> 00:21:33,000
Their problems are always
treated as being mental problems.

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00:21:33,000 --> 00:21:35,800
That is something the women
are always afraid of.

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The reason is the societal
situation, in which women

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00:21:40,801 --> 00:21:44,001
hardly can live.

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00:21:44,582 --> 00:21:46,976
There have been no arrests,
more participants

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00:21:46,976 --> 00:21:48,735
and the demo situation has improved.

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The Precariat!

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00:21:53,269 --> 00:21:58,923
I would like to dress up
as a worker and sing.

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00:21:59,887 --> 00:22:02,854
Fukushima, Chairwoman
of the Socialist Party

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00:22:03,526 --> 00:22:05,892
I find it very refreshing.

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00:22:05,892 --> 00:22:09,142
From young people for young
people about young people

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00:22:09,142 --> 00:22:13,010
This is a declaration of young
people with a self definition

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00:22:13,010 --> 00:22:16,700
as proletariat and precariat.

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00:22:16,700 --> 00:22:23,242
A lot are busy with the improve-
ment of working standards in Japan.

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00:22:23,242 --> 00:22:27,562
And it is not just like that in
Japan, but in the world:

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e.g. the income gap
in the globalisation.

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00:22:30,873 --> 00:22:38,819
Young people as precariat are busy
with topics e.g. being young related to work.

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00:22:38,819 --> 00:22:40,899
And I hope, that it spreads.

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00:22:53,556 --> 00:23:00,436
Also the stuff we carry on us,
banners and that sort of thing,

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00:23:00,436 --> 00:23:05,004
again we improvise ways to say
what needs to be said,

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00:23:05,005 --> 00:23:07,999
without being cliché.

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00:23:07,999 --> 00:23:12,203
It's as if ... as opposed
to being an obligation.

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00:23:12,203 --> 00:23:18,494
There are these people who
really want to be doing this.

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00:23:18,494 --> 00:23:21,572
And this gives power
to the demonstrations.

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00:23:27,684 --> 00:23:32,413
Also, among the people participating, what was it

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00:23:32,413 --> 00:23:37,856
the people who carry black flags...anarchists.

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00:23:37,856 --> 00:23:42,186
They are anarchists
but very serious people.

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00:23:42,186 --> 00:23:47,280
Or is that how anarchists are?

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00:23:47,280 --> 00:23:52,487
Anyways, they are principled and
eager to bring anarchist culture

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00:23:52,487 --> 00:23:59,620
with them, not to disrupt but to
participate in a very constructive way.

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00:23:59,620 --> 00:24:10,075
Different people wanting to build
the union into something good and

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00:24:10,076 --> 00:24:18,114
bringing what they have
It's also the result of these efforts.

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00:24:19,519 --> 00:24:24,705
Beyond  labor organizations, we
participate in the Anti-Poverty Network

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00:24:24,705 --> 00:24:28,220
which is a coalition of groups addressing
poverty from different perspectives.

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00:24:28,230 --> 00:24:32,800
Recently we've been a part
of the anti-G8 mobilizations

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00:24:32,800 --> 00:24:36,484
and many union members were present in Hokkaido.

296
00:24:36,484 --> 00:24:46,086
We're connected to groups in solidarity with street residents.

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00:24:46,086 --> 00:24:50,858
Lets see, what else... there are so many.

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00:24:50,858 --> 00:24:55,495
To return to the characteristics
of the Freeter Union:

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00:24:55,495 --> 00:25:00,293
another characteristic is
that members are commited to

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00:25:00,294 --> 00:25:06,332
other struggles and have movement
networks outside the union.

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00:25:06,332 --> 00:25:10,482
You could say that the
union's network with people

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00:25:10,482 --> 00:25:11,718
and movements grows through its members.

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00:25:11,718 --> 00:25:15,793
Before we go into that,
the Freeter Union organizes

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00:25:15,793 --> 00:25:20,995
a “Mayday for Freedom and Survival” .

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00:25:20,995 --> 00:25:24,497
It's a fun and
“independent” sort of Mayday

306
00:25:24,498 --> 00:25:28,139
and there are a number of similar
Maydays throughout the country.

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00:25:28,139 --> 00:25:32,118
Groups and people gathering
for Mayday could become

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00:25:32,118 --> 00:25:37,275
a starting point from where
new unions are created everywhere.

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00:26:14,243 --> 00:26:18,790
It was after this repression (2006)
that one of the members of a

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00:26:18,790 --> 00:26:23,894
more established union suggested
to us that we begin to really

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00:26:23,894 --> 00:26:28,862
look at our own lives:
how we make money, our workplaces

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00:26:28,862 --> 00:26:32,400
Why are we activists
in the first place?

313
00:26:32,400 --> 00:26:38,341
Because until then many activists
don't really like to talk about

314
00:26:38,341 --> 00:26:42,378
their situation with money or
what happens at the jobs.

315
00:26:42,378 --> 00:26:48,862
Everyone is maybe anti-capitalist,
but we tend to not analyse

316
00:26:48,863 --> 00:26:51,895
why these violations are happening.

317
00:26:51,895 --> 00:26:55,216
Why are we poor,
why we are hungry?

318
00:26:55,216 --> 00:26:59,742
And it was around that time, that
we begin to concern ourselves

319
00:26:59,742 --> 00:27:04,582
with our daily issues, that we've
always had, ever since we were students.

320
00:27:06,176 --> 00:27:10,857
So the idea was to form a
labour union and that will

321
00:27:10,857 --> 00:27:12,940
give us some sort of protection.

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00:27:12,940 --> 00:27:18,503
First we learned to talk about
our problems, discussing them

323
00:27:18,503 --> 00:27:23,504
not just with people in the company,
but on the streets with strangers,

324
00:27:23,505 --> 00:27:27,185
writing about them, learning to talk
about what happens.

325
00:27:27,185 --> 00:27:29,577
And we try to look for ways
that are cheap.

326
00:27:29,577 --> 00:27:34,163
so that we can share
what we know.

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00:27:34,163 --> 00:27:37,500
And this is e.g. one way.

328
00:27:37,500 --> 00:27:42,603
This is a booklet that covers
different aspects about work.

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00:27:42,603 --> 00:27:46,726
This is in case we are fired,
discharged, that shows us

330
00:27:46,726 --> 00:27:49,241
under which exact law
we are protected.

331
00:27:49,241 --> 00:27:52,709
and exactly how much
we are due.

332
00:27:52,709 --> 00:27:58,497
Exact situations were an employer
can fire you under what kind of

333
00:27:58,497 --> 00:28:01,103
There are different ways of
getting fired.

334
00:28:01,103 --> 00:28:03,423
And then there is holiday.

335
00:28:03,423 --> 00:28:08,029
There is accidents, there is a
lot of workers injuries.

336
00:28:08,029 --> 00:28:10,073
And what do you do in
case that happens.

337
00:28:10,851 --> 00:28:14,608
And this is there as data
to be downloaded and

338
00:28:14,608 --> 00:28:17,470
we carry these and just
give it to people.

339
00:28:26,703 --> 00:28:30,841
People aren't restrained from moving
around, being precarious anyways.

340
00:28:30,842 --> 00:28:35,150
When the idea comes up
for a new union campaign,

341
00:28:35,150 --> 00:28:40,523
say at a shark employer like some dispatch labor agency,

342
00:28:40,523 --> 00:28:45,717
a member would go there, sign-up and begin working to launch a union.

343
00:28:45,718 --> 00:28:47,975
That's also something we do.

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00:28:50,371 --> 00:28:53,453
Utopias

345
00:28:53,800 --> 00:29:01,267
Let's see: an office for
ourselves as a union ...

346
00:29:01,267 --> 00:29:08,284
And then, lets say, a place to
collect alternative information,

347
00:29:08,284 --> 00:29:15,109
what is that called?...
an infoshop, a place

348
00:29:15,109 --> 00:29:18,644
for exchanging information that is

349
00:29:18,644 --> 00:29:21,644
not
available through the mainstream media.

350
00:29:21,644 --> 00:29:27,914
Also with housing where people
suddenly forced out of their

351
00:29:27,914 --> 00:29:32,235
homes could go on
with their lives.

352
00:29:32,235 --> 00:29:38,725
To obtain a building that somehow
combines these functions.

353
00:29:38,725 --> 00:29:42,984
In this place the union would receive
more and more calls

354
00:29:42,984 --> 00:29:48,405
as the circle of people
helping each other grows.

355
00:29:48,405 --> 00:29:54,964
And people being disregarded
and pushed around can

356
00:29:54,964 --> 00:29:58,000
stand up against bosses
and companies together.

357
00:29:58,000 --> 00:30:04,000
Not retreating into isolation
but fighting back and

358
00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:08,626
in the process create a setting
that is a antithesis.