RISING IN THE DARKNESS

This is a real story that happened almost 9 years ago, when a young lady lost her mother. The young woman was dependent on her mother for support. She wasn’t able to continue with her studies because no one was able to pay her university fees, and she was in a difficult place as she thought that at her age she could not hope for a bright future as she was not able to complete her studies.

Then, after a while, she decided to seek any kind of small job so she could save money for fees because she believed that even if it takes time she would manage to go back to university.

She got the offer to work with a logistics company as an assistant in a storage department, which was a big hope for her future. Despite the small salary, she believed that doing something was better than having nothing.

She started working, and with the desire to learn different things in the future, she worked hard with energy and hope. She was really enjoying her new job.

After five months of working, one day at lunchtime, she was so surprised to see one of her colleagues beaten in front of other workers. It was something new. She didn’t understand how an adult could get beaten up whilst other people watched quietly without helping.

When she tried to ask about the incident, she was warned to keep quiet because that was normal life in that place.

After returning back to her office, she started talking to her supervisor to explain how she was surprised to see the incident of her fellow worker being beaten and how that action made her uncomfortable. She then asked why workers were treated that way. Again, she was warned to keep quiet if she wanted to keep her job.

She realised that workers were scared to lose their jobs, and the employers were taking advantage of this to harass them. They accepted this situation because they felt threatened, so they continued with their work like nothing had happened.

Two months after that incident, again, she saw an old man being slapped by the company owner’s son. The action was tolerated, so she confronted the man to ask him why he treated workers that way.

Again, she was warned to keep quiet as it was none of her business, and she was reminded that the situation with the job she had and enjoyed could change, so if she wanted to continue to work, she’d better stay away and not get involved.

This story is a true story about myself when I decided to deal with the challenge and to be a source of change.

After that action, I was never normal, and I started talking to workers and tried to convince them that we needed to find a way to stop discrimination in our workplace, but at that time all of them were afraid because they wanted to keep their jobs.

After work one evening, I went to the police station to see if I would be able to get help. I was concerned about my freedom, and I had already been intimidated. I was told that I would not be able to get help because that was not a police case. I was advised to find a trade union to get help for that kind of matter because it would be a permanent solution.

After meeting with trade union officials, I talked to them and explained the challenges workers were facing at our workplace.

I mobilised the workers and explained to them what a union was. The union then visited our workplace and held a meeting with all workers and taught then the importance and benefits of being members of a trade union.

In the end, the trade union officially started a branch, and after gaining a majority, we were able to start negotiations, and we mentioned all kinds of harassment in our CBA.

I lost my job after one year of working with the company.

They didn’t renew my contract, but the union offered me a job as an organiser after some training.

I am very happy and proud of the changes I made to my workplace, and my legacy remains there now as a person who brought change.