Liebe Mutter, mir geht es gut

Dear Mother, I'm All Right

Dear friends from West Germany!

In this booklet you have here... you'll have found information...

on life in West Berlin.

As mayor of this city... I can assure you that we are happy...

to welcome any friend form the West...

who comes here to share... our life and work in Berlin.

We will do everything to help those who come here...

to love our city and become Berliners.

So allow me to assure you: Your future is West Berlin.

A worker who doesn't do his work... who fights, swears at his comrades...

agitates against superiors

gets what's coming to him

The film shows how this works... and why we consider this as normal.

Workers fighting agains increased rents... learning from their defeats...

or fruitlessly fighting lay-offs... and drawing their conclusions.

Finally striking and thereby discovering their strength... beginning to change their lot.

This film shows us these workers and poses the question why we don't regard them as normal.

Gimme something to read too. Take your pick.

Lothar has two more.

Leave the ashtray for Lothar to clean up.

Cheerio Scheff!

Alfred Schefczyck lived in Baden- Wiirtemberg till 1966.

He was an assistant fitter... in a machine factory.

He was fired during the economic crisis of 1966.

He came to live in West Berlin and has had a job... in the metal industry for six months.

He lives in a hostel for West German and foreign workers.

Alfred works from 6 AM to 2.15 PM.

Look at all them fancies you're bringing!

Is all that for us? - OK, drop it there

What the hell's that?

Let's weigh this one for the hell of it

Are you trying to be funny?

This load's over 60 pounds, I told you before

The women can't handle this.

So take it back like a good boy and divide it between two crates.

The galvanizers have no more crates.

That's your problem. Clear off.

Can't I leave this stuff here... and get another crate?

Be sure to get it right.

It's too heavy again.

You can manage it like me

I still got hell from the checkers. I need another crate.

Go some other place, I haven't got time to find crates

You piece workers, earning a fat pay and still moaning! And I'm just your sciffy.

You gotta understand, we're on piece work

I'll only take crates with the exact weight.

You see we're slaving away We're not paid to find you crates.

Don't make me cry. Always moaning

Here's your crate but it's the last time

I'll buy you a beer.

Haven't you got an old crate for me?

If I gave them away to you lot, what would we do?

Are your selling them or what?

Where's all them new ones?

Bad times - more work for us there is always something.

Hands off, scrounger! You've got plenty

You'd like to have a go, huh?

You gone blind, or what? They haven't been nickled yet.

Even experts can make mistakes. Go on, you tranport expert!

Crickey, you're on high grade fuel today!

In great form!

Me sense of duty, mate

Your sense of duty? Don't know the word, do you?

I'll explain it.

If ever this dump goes broke... there'll be two men left here, me and the foreman.

I'll be working and he'll supervise. And the bosses will still get paid. That's sense of duty

And what's your wife say to that?

She counts the dough and keeps her mouth shut.

You must be having quiet nights at home. You said it.

Can you lend me your welder over the weekend?

A big safe, is it? I want to make a gate for my garden.

Do you know how to handle it? Yes, I've seen it done...

What about the materials? I can get some steel bars cheaply.

Go to the locksmith, he'll fix it. My welding kit isn't very good.

How big should the gate be? Large enough to get the car through.

Too heavy to do it with steel bars. The mass is too great.

It'll break the hinges. You'd better use profiles.

Can you draw it for me? Well... I haven't got that far yet.

Better move on, Werner is watching He can get lost.

Can you cut me some sheet-iron for a friend?

Tomorrow, I'm busy now.

Can't I even use your cutter? Want to clip your nails?

OK but don't get caught. I'll take some of those scraps.

But make sure that's all you take!

Alfred Schefczyck had been a fitter. But when he came to Berlin in 1966...

he couldn't find a suitable job.

Finally he took on the job carrying crates... in this factory

where he thought fitters might be needed.

He thought he wouldn't do unskilled work for long...

Also, the foreman had given him to understand...

he would get piece work at the first opportunity.

Hey Kurt, you're blocking up the way!

I've had my fill waiting for you. Got to leave it somewhere.

Your foreman was here and pulled a face.

Hang on, you're giving me double work.

How can you go walking around, with this pressure on here.

You stubborn bastard! Your bloody business!

Stop it! You're messing up everything.

I need the bolts for the compressors, this minute!

OK, I'll get you some.

If my foreman saw me doing your work... he'd think I've nothing to do...

and without materials the turners can't get on either.

Stop making more work! Stupid bastard!

Nice language around here! Do you have to yell?

What's wrong, Mr. Ulrich? You have to wait for hours here.

Where've you been, Mr. Schefczyck? I had my cart repaired.

You should have taken another one.

Leaving your place without permission.. I thought I better get it fixed quickly.

Repairs are not your concern. Just dropping everything and strolling about!

And stopping Mr. Ulrich getting on with his work.

I have to deliver my parts in time, too.

And fighting with colleages. Where do you think you are?

You're making the whole shop rebellious.

Try cooperating to speed things up.

What are you waiting for?

Give me a hand.

Here are your bolts.

In this confrontation with his foreman...

Alfred saw his piece work go down the drain.

He had broken the rules. He was furious.

But could this help him...

and against whom should he direct his anger?

You see, if you really try... nobody has to wait...

and you're worth your pay.

You know the economic situation is strained. Don't be oversensitive.

THE WORKS MANAGER

Our less zealous colleagues will have to earn their pay.

We've got orders to fill and goals to achieve. That's no point of debate.

Our competitors aren't sleeping.

THE COMPANY DIRECTOR

We should integrate our units even more... aiming for maximum effi ciency.

Only he who concentrates... fully on growth will be able to survive.

Yes, I agree with you.

THE MAJORITY STOCKHOLDER

Reduce special benefits and increase productivity.

In times of recession we must get rid of that social crap.

We no longer need to make consession.

I certainly agree.

THE MINORITY STOCKHOLDER

We are against unnecessary expenditure.

THE SMALL STOCKHOLDER

I do agree.

I thank you for your comments.

Next item: the distribution of profits.

RENT INCREASE AT THE HOSTEL

What are you reading, Scheff?

"The Deadly Wait"

That's crap. Lot of old rope.

Got an egg to spare?

Thanks.

Any amount of hard work won't stop them fucking.

Why do workers always have more kids... than other people?

They need some sort of compensation.

Polenz from 142 is moving. His single room will be free.

Come to my office. You can have it as promised.

I hope you're comfortable, Mr. Schefczyck?

Only, we can't afford new furniture every month.

See you later, then. Goodnight, gentlemen.

Took long enough.

You don't deserve it. I'll treat you for a drink. Come on.

In July 1967 the Government of West Berlin... raised the rent in the hostel...

by 10 marks for each bed.

We decided to send a delegation... of which I was a member.

We went to see the manager... and asked for a room to hold a meeting.

I refuse to enter into a discussion. You have your arguments, I have mine.

Besides, I'm not the right person... the increases come from above...

and they'll have their reasons. We'd like to know about those reasons.

If you don't like it you can leave.

I won't give you a room for your meeting, I want quiet.

We must all stick together on this. This time it's 10 marks...

If we don't react, it will be 20 the next time.

What can we do, just 7 or 8 of us? You saw Kriiger's face.

Tell him we're all leaving... he'll just laugh.

But I listened around today. Nobody will fight for 10 marks.

Because everybody's afraid, Kriiger can do as he likes. Because you're all scared shitless.

You have to be secure to speak up.

You're right. Cheers!

We need a strong base to start something.

And what could that be?

We're here from West Germany because they need us.

That's where we should put in the wedge.

OK, then we'll leave again.

So if we let the pulic know...

if we let them know what's happening...

some of those gentlemen might not like it.

Having to smuggle women through windows...

Stop yelling. Want everyone to hear?

That'll interest some people: 240 marks for a room..

with four beds, or even more...

and that Kriiger can throw someone out for speaking up...

- A communist. - He wasn't!

Of course he was" Who else talks about "expropriations™?

All this talking won't help because no one will follow us.

I think they'll come along... and I tell you it won't work.

Let's find out who'll go on a rents strike.

Blimey, what the hell's that

If enough people don't pay the rent, they'll have to listen.

Yes, if...

That's why I propose... to collect a list of signatures first.