"False work, de-professionalisation, the abuse of debutants, formation that doesn't exist, no vacation, lack of materials and staff.."

Jesús Redondo Navarro, 27 years, Spain

Still I remember my first job as a Social Worker, when I was only 18 years old. I was an innocent boy and I looked forward to work, to do things, and most of all; to change the world....They promised me a job with a future. It was summer and if we consider "future" till September of the same year, well, that's exactly the time until I worked.

There I was, very eager to start, in front of the door of the Local Government of Granada, where they celebrated the Day Without Cars, a day which they used to try to make the society aware of using cars as less as possible.

Once I prepared my table to hold a workshop with kids, the boss was worried about me, rather about my inexperience, and so 5 minutes before starting, he explained to me what to do.

I had to make hats of foam rubber for all the kids who would come to my workshop during the next two hours. Not even 10 minutes passed by since the beginning of the workshop and already 20 of these little kids, together with their mummies and in some cases together with their grandmothers, were waiting for their little hat that never arrived, and when it arrived, let us say, it didn't convince a lot of the kids because I didn't have a lot of experience and no one explained to me before which tasks I had to do.

"Some of the other employees didn't get protective clothing through their interim agency, so I don't want to wear mine either because I don't want to feel different from the others"

Erdijan, 18 years, Germany

Before our family escaped from the violence in our country, we lived in Kosovo. There we lived in Pristin, the capital.

In Germany we spent 3 months in a refugee camp. 13 people shared a room. After this time we moved to a flat from a charity organisation.

We now live with 5 people in our flat: my parents, my two brothers and me. My father works in a factory which produces bread. Additionally we get some money from the social welfare office.

Our family were afraid of a possible deportation for a long time. Now I am having a residence permit. Until some months ago, my grandmother has had an exceptional leave to remain. We have been very worried that she has to go back to Kosovo and she suffered a lot because of this insecurity.

I am a Roma. The Romanes language is very important to me. I will make sure that my children will learn it, too. Members of my family are living all over Europe.  I graduated at a secondary school which focuses on preparing people for an apprenticeship. I would like to start a training as a cook. It is my dream to have a restaurant which offers Yugoslavian food.

At the moment I have different jobs. For example, I am cleaning a supermarket or I am helping as a painter. I am working through an interim agency - one of the biggest in Germany.  I am working in an archiving company and will be here for another week or two, then return to another factory which packs bread.

The interim agency offered us protective clothing, but I don't use the gloves and boots because they are not practical, so I have some injuries on my hands and feet. Some of the other employees didn't get protective clothing through their interim agency, so I don't want to wear mine either because I don't want to feel different from the others. There are 9 interim workers, and 4 permanent staff. Not all are from the same interim agency.

In the bread packing factory 90% are interim labourers. Only the 2 chefs are permanent, and some admin staff. The salary is not so good in either company.  Even if they offered me a permanent contract, I'm not sure if I would accept because the salary is not good.  My preference would be to work in the bread packing factory because the salary is a bit better than the other company, but the archiving company have better conditions and working hours.

"Sometimes I did not take the break because there was too much to do "

Anna Maria, 23, Austria

Anna Maria has completed her internship in the retail trade. During the practical training in a chain store, there was a theft valued at € 5,000 in the store and Anna and another colleague were dismissed.

She loved her job. It was good training and she learned many things, despite the difficult working hours. During the Christmas period for example, (from early December until January 6) nobody was allowed to leave. The December 24 and December 31, EVERYONE should be at the store until it closed. Only the official public holidays were days off.

During the trial period, Anna worked 40 hours a week plus overtime * (* during the trial period, this is actually illegal). At the end of trial period, she earned approximately € 1,000 per month. Her working hours were divided into different shifts throughout the day. She began very early in the morning and worked until very late at night. She was always the last to leave. The split shift (the pause) during the day was too short to go home. "Sometimes I did not take the break because there was too much to do "

"They always promise they will contact me, but they never call back"

Gail, 22 years, Belgium

For 3 years I've been registered at all interim offices in Oostende. And the reason I'm so mad, is because I was again disappointed. Today I came here because they called me to say that I could begin in the supermarket here in Oostende. Thrilled, I came to the interim office for my validation. Then the lady said that the job will not continue. The supermarket stated that it is 'on hold' and I can no longer work there.

They always promise that they will contact me but they never call back. And then they ask me the same questions: "Is your address still the same? Has your phone number changed? And what kind of work do you want? ". "I know all the questions by heart, but it is automatic. It's just a tape machine that goes off every time. I will also start with all the answers, because I know it by heart, the questions on a cassette tape and I will continue to play them in the interim office!
I saw several times in the shop windows a job vacancy hanging for a saleswoman. But whenever I ask about it, they say that the job is no longer available. This happened several times.
Other times they had a job in another shop. She promised to contact me. After two weeks I heard nothing, and I went to see them and then had to come home because suddenly they knew nothing about that job ...

You have to really constantly go there with proposals for what you want to do, otherwise, they only propose things that have nothing to do with your hopes and wishes. They did have some proposals, but they do not take into account the fact that I have no driving license for example. I have wanted a license for so long, but I cannot afford it. So I want to find work in the region of Oostende. I sometimes get automatic text messages to go to Brussels, Antwerp and Gent to work.   When I arrive later at the interim office, they say to me: "Did you get a text message?" When I reply that these places are too far for me, they always say: "Do you really want to work? "  Or they know that I am searching for work in sales in the non-food sector, so I was sent to a bakery to go and clean. I really feel inferior, or that maybe it is my dark skin.