At Audioservice about 70 workers sell tickets, CDs, videos, etc. Most are students who have an outline-agreement without fixed working hours, without paid holidays, continued pay (in case of sickness), etc. In summer 2000 the workers discussed how they could prevent the substitution of the already insecure outline-agreements by day-labourer-contracts, and how they could get permanent contracts with paid holidays etc. They wrote a petition which was signed by 30 workers. After that, about half of them was fired. Some went to the industrial tribunal and got between 500 and 4900 DM. The petition has obviously provided the management with the names of the "dissatisfied" so it could sack them selectively. Although the "students" met also outside the work-place and stuck together they were obviously lacking the ability or determination to "close down the place". Signed petitions show the bosses that something is going on, but they can react on the spot and attack the people. Maybe a direct action would have been more effective.
(More at www.callcenteroffensive.de)