Quit [questions about modern slavery]

 

two shift leaders were talking to each other at 15:57, M arrived as they had to start their shift at 16:00. M wanted to start their work but one of the 2 shift leaders called them over and said to them and to the other shift leader: - "M would like to work here."

the other shift leader: - "M., actually would you like to work?"

M: - "do I have another choice?"

the two shift leaders became a little bit confused by M's half-ironic smile (M started working there almost 3 months ago).
the above leader's favorite little song, what the new employees had to repeat after him during the preparation for the opening of the restaurant, was: "follow the leader leader leader!!! follow the leader leader!!!" (repeat 3-5 or more times) (it seemed to M like something in 1984 or a kind of rhyme like "follow the führer führer führer")

in case of overwork they said: every hour is paid. ok but i say: really underpaid. (ok it's not required to work here i know but if you are an immigrant with 3-years of german language-knowledge, that's not native level... not really close to reach irreproachable C1 knowledge)

you know about the work hours now...and your work seconds? your every second is under control, they don't believe in you, they don't believe that you work. if you clear the table in one part of the restaurant, the shift leader comes to you and asks you to account for not picking up the plates in the other part of the restaurant. once M answered: sorry i can't clone myself... but a concrete dialog to this point:

shift leader: "it's nothing, right now, this restaurant is almost empty and just look around!! why are those tables full with dishes?"

M: "because i was at the other side of this hall and i was clearing the tables there"

shift leader: "you are not fast enough."

M: "if you are not satisfied with my work, please go to our boss and tell him. you can kick me out, you have the right to kick me out, this world is like that. i know." (and M began to cry, they were a little bit sensitive on this day because they had just gotten their period and for some weeks they had had enough of this leadership, so they continued crying throughout their speech): "i work as i can. i do all I can and how i can. that's my maximum." (the shift leader backed off, maybe he felt some empathy after M's crying.)

there are some shift leaders (great mass) who have similar logic as the above, and there are more colleagues who think that you don't work fast enough and why are you so quiet? at least you don't work the way they imagine that you should.

a positive point (!): there are two intelligent shift leaders and there are some intelligent colleagues. if you are lucky, you've got a workday when you can work with these latter ones. if you are lucky you don't have to work til 4 or 5 a.m.

what can you do? how can you change? maybe you think that you can got just a similarly shitty job... maybe you are so tired on your free days that you are not able to look for another little bit better job...what can somebody do whose German-knowledge is worse than yours? and if an employee accepts these above? what can somebody do if they work as a dishwasher, zimmermädchen (chambermaid) / roomboy, server (with an A1-A2, or B1-B2 german knowledge) and they keep working? i guess in some years they will become regular visitors of physiotherapists who will be financed by their health insurance which was subtracted from their salaries before. they will become lame or worse... and how much will their pensions be later and for how long? viz. for how long can they live as pensioners before they die? i can see the guests. they are rich young people, rich 30-40-50 year-olds and rich old men and old-ladies, etc... i don't believe that they or their parents work more than you or they are more effective or smarter than you. you've got the potential, everybody has the potential...i know. but somebody has the potential with handicaps maybe with accumulated handicaps...and it's just an example of big cities in western-Europe. what is it like in pakistan, bangladesh? and in china, where half the country is in slavery and the other half is capitalist and some exceptions are rich? why does somebody have more houses, cars, holidays, free seconds at their jobs (i know somebody who works 12 minutes per day (in a 8 hours/day job with really good salary. do you know that she is more qualified? maybe but why? does it depend on just ability really? sure!:D while some others have nothing and are almost homeless?

i am not a punk but almost one. i am not a refugee but almost one. i am not an enemy but almost one. yeah and i am totally bad if you ask certain people. don't pity me, in a few months (but not at this job, my back can bear max. a few more days here) i will pick up my backpack and i will go away i don't know where. maybe with my bike. actually i have never been on a holiday. i know i cannot run from globalisation and maybe i will become ill on the sun and then i will need an operation and if i have no health-insurance, i will die soon. on the beach. or in the desert. or in the park. i wanna ride a camel in the desert. there are 2 camels in the park. you can come with me. we can take some sandwiches with winter salami and we can drink some herbal tea from Uncle Gyuri and do some asanas. i can't practice yoga but i know it helps my back. you can hug me and that helps me too. and let's climb a tree too. it's the best way.

 

[Umwelt - Overwork]

[Moby - Wait for me]

[Neil Young - Heart of Gold]