The history of workers’ struggle is the history of the portion of humanity that identifies itself as being alienated from its meaning of economic production and which is subjugated by the wage labor system. It is the history of the emancipation of humankind from capitalism altogether.
Brought together by a shared interest in making visible workers’ history and labor’s current struggles, AWC in cooperation with labournet.tv, a collective and an online archive of films from labor movements worldwide, has selected a variety of films addressing current and historical working conditions, migration fluxes, and forms of self-organization.
The selected films, presented on AWC and labournet.tv channels, highlight axes of oppression that cross, situated struggles, and illustrate the interconnectedness between unprotected workers' rights, restrictions on trade union organization, and the extent of exploitation - especially of migrant and women workers.
This second chapter from the AWC’s selection on labournet.tv focuses on today's globalized economy, where the exploitation of migrant workers remains a pressing issue. Despite advancements in labor rights and regulations, many companies continue to prioritize profit over human dignity, leading to widespread abuses, especially affecting those at the bottom of the production chain. The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated these conditions, with migrant workers often being the hardest hit. The short films selected for this chapter underscore the urgent need for stronger labor protections, greater corporate accountability, and international solidarity to combat the exploitation of migrant workers. The stories from China, Spain, and Germany serve as a stark reminder of the ongoing fight for workers' rights and the critical importance of addressing these injustices in our interconnected world.
The first film, "China Blue," (2005) explores the working and living conditions of three young female migrant workers in China who work in a jeans factory in Shaxi. The factory owner, a former city police chief, also shares his perspective. Through the work culture of the jeans industry and the propaganda pushed on its workers, the film subtly raises questions about China’s political regime.
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The second film, "Migrant Workers’ Struggle in a Sea of Plastic Foil," (2017) highlights the plight of migrant workers in Spain, who, burdened with the responsibility of providing for their families, had not been paid for two months. In response, they organized themselves with the agricultural workers' union SOC-SAT to demand their rights. On March 7th, the cooperative Juarez y Maldonado S.L. retaliated by firing 22 employees for their trade union actions.
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fig. 2
The final film, "Migrant Harvesters Strike in Germany," (2020) focuses on the labor conditions of migrant workers, primarily from Romania, employed on asparagus and strawberry farms in Bornheim, Germany. It narrates their struggle against low wages, harsh working conditions, and the complete lack of welfare, sparking protests against exploitation.
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labournet.tv is an online archive for films from the labor movement - old and new - from all parts of the world.
This collaboration is facilitated by Noa Jaari, Mia Ribeiro Alonso, Line Lange, and Annalisa Giacinti.
- IMAGE CREDITS
Cover: Still from CHINA BLUE; Shaxi, Guangdong province, China; 2005.
fig. 1: CHINA BLUE; Shaxi, Guangdong province, China; 2005.
fig. 2: MIGRANT WORKERS' STRUGGLE IN A SEA OF PLASTIC FOIL; San Isidro, Andalusia; 2017.
fig. 3: MIGRANT HARVESTERS STRIKE IN GERMANY; Bornheim, near Bonn, Germany; 2020.
