Momox strike in Leipzig: Working to stay (in the country)
How Momox profits from refugees’ fears
(…) This is the first strike in the company’s history. An act of self-empowerment that arose under the most adverse conditions. Boris from the works council, who is himself a logistics worker, sums it up: “This is a historic moment, and I am infinitely proud of it! ” The colleagues are in good spirits, laughing, patting each other on the back in congratulations and applauding their own strike – gestures of solidarity and struggle. Every day they come here to work, but today they have come not to work. For one day, they are escaping the logic that determines their entire existence: the logic of exploitability and fear.
The business of precariousness
Behind the façade of the sustainable second-hand retailer Momox, which presents itself as progressive and cosmopolitan, lies a different picture: a system that exploits the precarious situation of refugees. Since 2012, the company’s turnover has increased more than sixfold, from 58 to 377 million euros. But this boom has left no trace on those who keep the flow of goods moving in the Leipzig warehouses. They report existential hardship, stagnating wages and disrespect.
An estimated 70 percent of the entire workforce here has a migrant background. ‘Inside, you hardly need to speak – you just have to work,’ says Baraa Aljarad matter-of-factly, pointing to the huge building behind him. ‘That suits foreigners.’ It quickly becomes clear that Momox is not like any other employer. The company is a port of call for those who don’t get a chance elsewhere. People with temporary residence permits, with uncertain residence status, with broken German. They work in order to be allowed to stay. For them, their job is not only a source of income, but also a condition for their right to live in Germany. A trap made of paper and fear. (…)
Rizwan endured all this for years – years in which he lived with temporary leave to remain. ‘It wasn’t until the end of 2022 that I realised I was destroying myself,’ he says. His words are an indictment of a system of systematic overload: “Even a machine breaks down if you make it work too fast. We are constantly being told: “Speed up!”‘ The result: back, knees, legs – everything hurts. ’This has to stop.”
Organised with hands and feet
The Momox strike is historic not only because it is the first in the company’s history, but also because it was organised by workers with countless native languages. This pride resonates when Mehmet answers the question of how they managed it: ‘We speak with our hands and feet. Nevertheless, we find ways to understand each other. Today, we have all come together.’
According to Verdi, the company has so far rejected all demands for collective bargaining. The union is determined to intensify the industrial action and is countering the company’s ignorance with a ‘democratic attitude’: ‘It doesn’t matter where we come from. We are all workers with the same interests and dreams. We demand respect!’
The broken wall of silence
The historical significance of this strike also lies in the fact that it has broken through the wall of silence. It reveals the contradictions of our present: people who are only allowed to stay if they work, and companies that profit from the fact that they have to stay. (…)
GEAS will make everything worse
[GEAS = German for CEAS “Common European Asylum System”] The situation for employees could soon become even more acute: with the implementation of the GEAS, there is a threat of new work bans and setbacks in integration policy. Instead of promoting labour market integration, the draft law makes it much more difficult for refugees with temporary residence permits to find employment – with serious economic and social consequences. This exacerbates the very cycle of fear, dependency and exploitation that the strikers at Momox are trying to break.
Update from Dec. 16th:
Strike at momox Leipzig intensified
After Black Week, Black Friday, etc., the Christmas shopping season continues. High work and performance pressure, overtime, no rest, high sick leave – these are the consequences for employees. And all this without a collective agreement and for a wage that is barely enough for them to live on.
Many migrant and refugee colleagues from Afghanistan, Syria, Iran, Venezuela, India and other countries work at momox in Leipzig. They are under particular pressure. The rush to get work done and the pressure to perform are compounded by existential fears. Migrant employees fear that losing their jobs will also mean losing their residence permits. momox exploits this fear, especially with temporary contracts.
‘Our colleagues are striking with courage and pride for a normal life worth living. Through the strike, they are highlighting their poor working conditions, low pay and lack of appreciation.’
We are also seeing tougher resistance from the employer side. Punitive transfers and personal meetings in which pressure is exerted on strikers are not uncommon.