Films
End of Representation: Emmely and the Retail Strike / Ende der Vertretung: Emmely und der Streik im Einzelhandel
The film was made during the longest collective bargaining dispute in German retail up to that point. When employers announced cuts to evening and night-work bonuses despite rising profits, many already precariously employed workers went on strike.
The kanalB video collective followed the predominantly female strikers for more than a year. The film gives a voice to women who had worked in retail for decades, often as single mothers and part-time workers earning so little that they had to “put together” their meals from what their families could provide.
When one of the strikers was dismissed on a pretext and sued for reinstatement, a broad solidarity alliance emerged. The “Emmely case” caused a sensation and exposed the partiality of German labour law. Ende der Vertretung not only documents these events; it also became a tool in the struggle itself.
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The kanalB video collective followed the predominantly female strikers for more than a year. The film gives a voice to women who had worked in retail for decades, often as single mothers and part-time workers earning so little that they had to “put together” their meals from what their families could provide.
When one of the strikers was dismissed on a pretext and sued for reinstatement, a broad solidarity alliance emerged. The “Emmely case” caused a sensation and exposed the partiality of German labour law. Ende der Vertretung not only documents these events; it also became a tool in the struggle itself.
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