Transcript

(All in French with subtitles)

Monique, 62 electronics industry from 1968 to 2004

Because of the damage I have suffered I can no longer open this shutter.

My shoulder and elbow hurt too much so I avoid lowering it. Though sometimes I have to just to let in the sunlight.

My shoulder injury means I have to use this ladder to reach for a glass.

Before I could raise my arm like anybody else. Now I can't.

This ladder’s never very far.

Once I'm on the first step I'm high enough to get a glass.

I don’t have to do this every day but it’s the only way to reach for a glass.

Whether a glass, a pan or anything else if it’s high up I have to use a ladder.

For example I do a lot of ironing and that’s become far too painful. Especially the elbow and the shoulder

To limit the pain in my shoulder I have to make small movements.

Ironing trousers isn't easy.

Soon I’ll have to get someone to do it because it hurts too much.

The factory management refuse to acknowledge this suffering.

Because if they do accept it they would have to adapt the factory.

Work doctors try their best but they can't do very much either.

We need jobs that take into account people’s disabilities.

Vincent, 42 Meat industry since 1989

Among my own colleagues a lot have already been operated on.

Wrists, elbows and as high as the shoulder

Recently some were even sacked because of their disability

Since our company is based on manual work as soon as a worker can’t keep up they throw him out.

That happens in 8 out of 10 cases.

As a result we find workers around 40 who are unemployed and have hardly a chance of finding a new job because of their poor physical condition.

People become like faulty products and are rejected.

To have reached this point is very sad.

Jacques, 55 electric cabling since 1971

It all began in 2005

I was laid off by the doctor for a month.

Then I went back to see him and said I was a bit better

Back at work for 3 or 4 days and “bang” it all started again.

I had to stop for a month. And stop again after 2 weeks

In the end they called me in.

They said, “We can't put up with your unpredictable moods any more.”

They told me it was better to stop than to carry on. But I really wanted to carry on.

So I made the effort. I felt I had to. I lasted almost a year.

But it damaged me even more.

And what did I get out of this? Nothing but a broken body.

Henri, 63 food industry from 1973 to 2004

Whenever we discussed working conditions it was hard to agree.

A lot of workers said: “If I lose my job how am I going to eat?”

And it’s true even today that people prefer to hide bad working conditions rather than be told by their boss to look for another job.

Let’s not forget that employment is under so much pressure these days that people say, “better keep my mouth shut today than lose my job tomorrow.”

Vincent, 42 Meat industry since 1989

In my factory very few people have been able to enjoy their retirement

In the last 5 years or so 10 or 12 people have retired. Only 3 of those people are still alive

Working conditions before were perhaps very tough

But I think today’s working conditions are more harmful physically.

Particularly the production rate.

Francoise, 42 car industry since 1989

As soon as you want to make more cars with less people, someone has to suffer.

I won't even start to count the number of worn out workers. And I've noticed when people retire their life expectancy is very poor.

I often hear some die 2 or 3 years into retirement.

I don’t know if it’s due to working conditions but they die early.

There’s no doubt our life expectancy is less. Not surprising if you look at how we work.

My work was fitting pipes at the shipyard.

I spent most of my time in the engine room.

My pipes would carry lubricants or diesel as well as water or wastage

And of course sea water to cool the engines and provide ballast.

All this goes through pipes and that was my job.

I was able to retire early under the Asbestos Agreement

There are over 2000 shipyard workers in the same case as me

In the shipyard asbestos was totally banned in 1997. Before then we worked with asbestos every day in the engine room.

All the steam pipes were covered with asbestos to keep the heat in.

These pipes were 25 or 30 mm thick.

The insulators used to come to cover the pipes and as they cut the asbestos we were right next to them.

Breathing in air full of asbestos dust

And for the big pipes we worked asbestos ourselves

The workshop sent us asbestos sheets that we cut up for joints

So we were really in close contact with asbestos

A normal asbestos joint with its protective covering isn’t dangerous

It’s got an oil-based covering that makes it safe

But as soon as you start drilling or cutting it the asbestos dust flies off.

It’s so small you can't see it

One of my best mates died from asbestos at 57

He’d only been retired for 2 years when it hit him

Sometimes it spreads very quickly and sometimes it can be quite slow

There are so many people with asbestos in their lungs

Little by little they’ll have difficulty breathing.

Then it grows into wide spread cancer leading to certain death

Jacques, 55 electric cabling since 1971

After all these years I haven't seen any progress

I've been doing the same job for 38 years and nothing’s changed

Nothing at all

Every morning we reach the site put on our harness and up we go

It’s always been like that

And today it’s got even worse because of the new cables we have to install

They're much heavier and more difficult to work with

It takes two of us to lift them. I don’t know how we manage. Pure madness!

Christophe, 51 Fishing Port since 1978

We watch the years pass and there’s still no improvement

We still don’t have any lifting equipment. It’s all done by hand

On the contrary things have got worse

Before on the port we had weight limitations on the boxes

It used to be 50 kilos. We got it down to 40 and then 30 kilo boxes

But now we receive boxes from all over Europe so we have to adapt to their standards handling boxes up to 70 kilos

Ten years ago when Europe required white factories, everything became white

That was it. Nothing changed except the colour. The working conditions certainly didn’t.

Francoise, 42 car industry since 1989

Before work was more relaxed but now that’s over

As I said we don’t have time to look up or look around or even talk. Just keep your head down inside the car

That’s how bad things have become

On top of this they’ve increased car production without adding any extra workers

Which leaves us without a second to rest

That’s what happened on the line recently. It’s a nightmare

Vincent, 42 Meat industry since 1989

We used to be 1000 employees. In the last two years we’ve lost 250

About 30% of those felt they had to quit

This certainly suited the bosses

Since with the same amount of production and less workers, productivity went up

Where there used to be 4 on a job now there’s 3

The worst case is 3 workers down to 1, producing the same amount

So he’s tripled his work rate

Until the day he drops then they’ll throw him out and start again

Sadly it’s always the workers at the bottom of the ladder who ruin their health

Francoise, 42 car industry since 1989

We often feel we’ve ended up becoming robots

We function but we’re not supposed to think or even exist

We survive without consideration. It’s awful when you think of it

There really seems to be a loss of human dignity

Workers feel their sacrifices aren't appreciated by the company

Sure at Christmas they’ll get a box of chocolates or a toy car

It’s pathetic and some workers say so

But they’ll never give us any financial reward

In France we might have the highest productivity rate but the human cost is enormous

As I'm talking about this I really feel overcome with emotion

It hurts me when I think how badly we’re treated

Marie, 57 Fishing port since 1971

The bosses often say they are the company. But I think it’s also the workers

Whatever they might say doesn’t help us in any way. There's just no progress.

And no one ever thanks us for a hard day’s work

Even when we’ve given everything they’ll never say a word or even smile

And for me that counts

So can anybody tell me what physical distress at work is?

Our job isn't classified as causing physical distress. So which ones are?

That’s why we tell youngsters to study hard or they’ll finish up in the fishing port

We don’t want our children to end up like us

Even if it’s a job that’s helped our families survive, it’s just not acceptable

Christophe, 51 Fishing Port since 1978

When I first sat down here I thought I'd tell a happy story of the fishing port

Because my family has worked in this fishing port for generations.

My great grandmother sold the fish that my great grandfather had caught

My whole life’s been here. I really wanted to talk about the good times

I remember my grandfather back from sea, my grandmother selling the fish from her cart

But those times are gone. Now we are just oppressed.

It’s hard to admit we've become exploited

The job itself is wonderful but certainly not under these conditions

Now we’re sick of it

Look at me. I'm worn out. I'm 51 but I feel 65

I don’t know what its like to be 65 but I feel I'm already there

My back’s seriously damaged and so is my mind

A lot of us suffer from depression, anxiety and stress. It’s terrible

Because the work and the effort is too hard

Of course we all know fish is good for your health

But not for our health

Jacques, 55 electric cabling since 1971

I've got to the point today where I'm a complete wreck

I've done 40 years hard labour just to end up like this.

And I can't retire yet. I'm only 55

So what does the future hold after all my pain? What’s left?

I can't run. I can't do any sports. I can still just about walk but not very far

I can't do what I used to. Now I have to see the future differently

A few years ago I had lots of plan for retirement. They’ve all fallen apart

Suddenly it’s all over. No hope. I'm in such a state I can't do anything.

And I'm not the only one

Employers must realise that manual workers will always be needed

We can always replace machines but we can never replace human beings

Even if you're tired and worn out you shouldn’t be replaced

How often have we heard people say “Pain comes with the job”

Nonsense. Pain shouldn’t have to be part of the job. But people accept it

I finished up with epicondylitis a major elbow injury and a shoulder injury, which involved cutting a tendon and repairing another

Work is fulfilling but not if it means destroying your health

It’s a shame to see that the bosses don’t care at all. And that’s unacceptable

That was true 40 years ago and it’s even more so today

Working yes. Destroying our health no. Bosses not caring, no.

This was their work: their sorrow.

“Christophe”

“Vincent”

“Francoise”

“Marie”

“Jacques”

Monique Bobeche

Henri Chevolleau

Joseph Rocher

To whom we are sincerely grateful

As well as:

Yvonne Boulic

Olga Tharaud

The Board of Directors of ISSTO

[Institut des sciences sociales du travail de l'ouest]

and

Gwenola Billon

The Regional Directorate of Brittany for Work

Employment and Career Training

The Committees of the CTGFO

CGT and CFDT for the regions of Brittany

Loire and Lower Normandy

Directed by

Oliver Dickinson

Produced by Jocelyne Barreau,

Université de Rennes 2

Assistant Director

Anthony Dickinson

Filmed and edited by

Oliver Dickinson

Sound

Claire Petit

Researcher

Marie Kerfant

Valse “Simple” and Valse “Ecossaise”

Traditional music

Performed by Joseph Rocher