The Madrid Metro Cleaners strike has finally come to an end. Tuesday morning was the first in about twenty days that we Madrileños could enter our little subterranean world without having to step on layers of garbage ranging from banana skins, to ripped-up papers, to puke. It is a relief to all. I can now once again sniff up that fresh carbon filled air with a whiff of delight.The honest truth is that I did not take any real interest in the reasoning of the strikers. The problem is that I am not a striking person. I come from the more modest mould of ‘why can’t we just ask really politely whilst extensively using the magic word (which is, as I am sure you already know, the word please)?’. When in real desperation you should revert to the more dramatic pretty please. As you might expect this hasn’t really brought me to any heights just yet.
The thing is that I am neither in a position to go on strike. Really, what would happen? I would be replaced immediately at the consultancy by one of a score of recently graduated Social Science students unable to get a foot in the door. Then, the English school would just contract another under-qualified American pretender on a gap-year and my voluntary organization, well, I am not even sure if it is even possible to be a volunteer on strike.
So, there it is. The thing that did upset me a bit was that most of the damage in the Metro system was done by the cleaners themselves. Up to 22 employers were fired as it was found out that they were deliberately littering the underground in order to enhance the effects of the strike! What’s that all about? That goes directly against what you are supposed to do. Please follow these links to have a look at what they were doing: Madrid Metro 1 and Madrid Metro 2.
If my imaginary strike would continue, this would mean that I would have to continue working as English teacher but deliberately teach them incorrect English (But, Thomas, can you really say ‘I shit in the milk’?), thus not being on strike but just sabotaging. At the consultancy it would mean that I would have to create more work for them by creating extra projects. Therefore I would have to be employed by the European Commission if I would seriously want to sabotage in the way of the Metro Strikers. Sabotage, in my case, therefore would just mean more (and better!) work! And then I am not speaking about the volunteer work where I would have to construct myself a cayuco (one of these boats refugees build to cross the ocean) and wash myself up on the Canary coast line!
I guess I just want to say that I sympathise with the Metro Cleaners for going on strike – they certainly do a good job – but they do have it quite easy striking. Much easier than most of us. In the end, they got what they wanted, a pay rise and better social protection. But, the Metro system has decided not to renew the contract of the four main cleaning companies which suffered from the strikes! So in four months all the strikers will be out of a job! That’s bad luck.
The thing is that I am neither in a position to go on strike. Really, what would happen? I would be replaced immediately at the consultancy by one of a score of recently graduated Social Science students unable to get a foot in the door. Then, the English school would just contract another under-qualified American pretender on a gap-year and my voluntary organization, well, I am not even sure if it is even possible to be a volunteer on strike.
So, there it is. The thing that did upset me a bit was that most of the damage in the Metro system was done by the cleaners themselves. Up to 22 employers were fired as it was found out that they were deliberately littering the underground in order to enhance the effects of the strike! What’s that all about? That goes directly against what you are supposed to do. Please follow these links to have a look at what they were doing: Madrid Metro 1 and Madrid Metro 2.
If my imaginary strike would continue, this would mean that I would have to continue working as English teacher but deliberately teach them incorrect English (But, Thomas, can you really say ‘I shit in the milk’?), thus not being on strike but just sabotaging. At the consultancy it would mean that I would have to create more work for them by creating extra projects. Therefore I would have to be employed by the European Commission if I would seriously want to sabotage in the way of the Metro Strikers. Sabotage, in my case, therefore would just mean more (and better!) work! And then I am not speaking about the volunteer work where I would have to construct myself a cayuco (one of these boats refugees build to cross the ocean) and wash myself up on the Canary coast line!
I guess I just want to say that I sympathise with the Metro Cleaners for going on strike – they certainly do a good job – but they do have it quite easy striking. Much easier than most of us. In the end, they got what they wanted, a pay rise and better social protection. But, the Metro system has decided not to renew the contract of the four main cleaning companies which suffered from the strikes! So in four months all the strikers will be out of a job! That’s bad luck.
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7 comments:
I can't believe what I am seeing here!! This poor person falling over! Anyway my new Spanish word for the day: La huelga.
Something that I have never understood is why the strickers do things that are a damage for the rest of the population. They are "fighting" against their company not against the people. In this way, most of the citizens do not feel sympathy for the strikers, they even wish that the strike ends failing its objectives!
When I was in Stockholm there was a strike of the subway workers. And what sis they do? Well, they allowed everybody to enter in for free. They were at their working positions, but not doing their job. In that way the service was working perfectly, so nobody was annoyed or delayed in their way home/job. In that way the people were feeling sympathy for the workers and in that way the company had to fulfil their demands to avoid having a service runnning but no producing income.
I guess it's a question of north/south mentality....we all know about it....
Mmmmmmh… Strikes, the rights of the workers to do a certain kind of annoying protest or not, should we show some sympathy with them or not, is this strike tolerable or not … Too many things I cannot just ignore, comrade Thomas. Got to say what I think about it or I’ll just explode :). So some wandering is coming man (no one feels censured by what i say please):
To be honest, as a regular Metro user, of course the effects of the strike affected me: piles of garbage everywhere, smells,… Everything was quite disgusting and annoying. Also sad seeing people falling down because of the garbage. Sabotage does not help workers to make their complain popular either. This is of course out any kind of fair or civilized strike.
But, what are the workers going to do? I mean, apart from keeping minimum services, how can they complain in a “nice” way? Something like what Roberto tells about the “cool” Stockholm Metro strike (Stockholm, where everything is perfect) is not comparable to me. Every single strike is done in the exact same way: stop working (excepting Japan where they overproduce). Due to the characteristics of the tasks they have to do, the results of the strike in Stockholm were great (stop working = didn’t have to pay to get in) and not pleasant at all here in Madrid (stop working = rubbish everywhere). But the essence is the same: stop working. Some strike results are “cool” and some others aren’t, but surely this is not up to the workers (their choice is whether to go on strike or not, but neither what their work is nor, therefore, the effects of their strike are up to them). Hope the shade is well explained.
Everything here, to my eyes, is just a matter of solidarity. Should we just say: “Don’t tell me about your work problems, just leave alone, stop complaining and do your job”? Garbage and the Metro conditions we had to suffer were sick, but the work conditions that drove them to go on strike are worse. Don’t want to say that piling garbage is the vehicle for us to show our solidarity to them, but here’s the real problem: lack of equity of salaries among men and woman (that is still Spain 2008) and also among the salaries of the workers of the different private companies that do the same work, getting the entire salary in case of a sick leave, getting toxicity bonus,… Moreover everyone knows that cleaners are not especially the most privileged segment of the society. The consequences of their strike were taught for us, but it’s worse earning 500€/month for a full time job. Sadly I’ve heard more voices speaking against the strike and its dirty effects than against these awful work conditions the workers are suffering from.
And who's here complaining just too much, either them or us because the Metro is smelly?
Everything I just want to say is that these strikers are not just spoiled guys that refuse working due to silly excuses.
Maybe the right option for an ideal protest would have been partial strikes where the minimum services had been respected or, probably, having opted for public demonstrations supported by people enough to be notorious in the media too. But this is still a country where the largest demonstrations are called to protect the Catholic moral in front of what the Spanish Parliament may have legislated (what kind of democracy is this one?). A country where there are still enormous salary inequities among men and women. A country where many companies still take abusive advantages of workers (again: 500€/month full time job!). In the end: A country where there is still a lot to fight for.
And that is to me the real difference among South Europe and North Europe mentalities: Here the weaks are very weak and the rest of the weaks instead of showing some sympathy for their “fellow men” prefer to not to take it personally because maybe they earn 100€/month more or something. Something summed in our saying: “maricón el último” (= just run, nobody cares about the last one).
Maybe when the powerful start behaving and we realize where we are and who we are then we can demand the rest to fulfill strike’s minimum services.
Sorry for the demagogy my friends :)
Your arguments and exposition are quite clear Eduardo and somehow you are right. You have perfectly summarized the situation and described with precision the mentality in our country. The sentence "maricón el último" was perfect to define the way of thinking of many people.
I recognize that maybe in my exposition there was a lack of solidarity with the workers, probably it sounded as I was a neoliberalism supporter. Well, I should agree with Eduardo that the context is a very important factor to consider when analysing how a strike is carried out. I'll reflect more on that idea.
So I won!!! :P:P:D:D
Hugs to everyone.
Lets all clap for Edu!
Of course he is right. Every worker should be able to strike against unfair conditions such as those of the metro strikers.
My point was just that some people are in a better position to strike than others. Now I am not complaining but I am sure many overworked and underpaid office workers (or immigrants working in the olive fields of Andalucia!) are not capable of doing anything as the Metro boys and girls...
And of course you're right too... Sad that for instance the rich airlines pilots can go on strike so easily and the inmigrants cannot.
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