Corporate Scumbag: Dimmey's exploits young workers

Recently, I had some direct experience of how the capitalist system exploits young workers. I was employed at the Dimmey's discount department store that just opened in Hobart's Elizabeth Mall. Like the other 14 workers, I was told that I was a full-time register operator; like the rest of the workforce, I was paid a youth wage: $6.77 an hour before tax.

We were all forced to sign week-long employment contracts, but were assured that this was just a formality. We worked for weeks moving the Dimmey's store from the suburb of Eastlands to its new location. We were promised that on the day Dimmey's Hobart store opened, we would sign long-term contracts.

On the opening day, only four of the 15 workers were offered contracts, all for part-time hours. To make it worse, workers were told that during the nine-hour opening day, we would only get one break of half an hour.

We decided that this was unacceptable. We wanted to take action, so I talked to a supervisor, saying that we were entitled to a longer break. She smiled at me and explained that during the store opening, we would be far too busy for that. I smiled back and nicely demanded that I be allowed to ring the union. Immediately her smile disappeared and she ran off to talk to the store manager.

Management decided to try to shut me up by giving only me the breaks we were all entitled to. Unluckily for them, I refused to breach workplace solidarity and take my breaks and run.

I made it my mission to tell every young worker in the store exactly what had happened. When the other workers found out, they were pissed off. Two of them went to talk to the store manager together, and made it clear that we were united and not going to back down.

The manager gave in, and every worker got a 10-minute break in the afternoon. This might not sound like much, but the workplace was absolutely buzzing for hours afterwards. Everyone was on a high from this victory, and knew that we had won by taking united action against the boss.

It is not just Dimmey's that treats young workers like worthless robots. Profitable corporations like McDonald's, KFC, Target, Coles, Woolworths, Oporto's and Hungry Jacks are the same.

Contrary to capitalist opinion, young does not equal stupid or scared. Around the world young people are at the forefront of struggles against globalisation, imperialist domination, war and racism. It was young East Timorese who put their lives on the line in the struggle for freedom and democracy. It is young Palestinians who are standing up against the government of Israel to fight for their freedom.

And it is young people who will be at the forefront of abolishing the capitalist system of greed and inequality and replacing it with one based on justice and human solidarity.

BY SOPHIE FISCHER

[The author is a member of Resistance, the socialist youth organisation. Visit <http://www.resistance.org.au>.]

From Green Left Weekly, June 19, 2002.

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From GLW issue 496