Argentina
Ignacio Nelson Gallo, Cooperative Manager
(in Spanish)
The global economic crisis in 2009 affected us. Our sales decreased by 40 or 45%.

Indonesia
Raharas Sapta, Factory Owner
(in Bahasa)
With the current weak economy, customers who previously paid within 30 days, need 45 days. That greatly affects our cash flow.

Senegal
Aristide Tino Adediran, Printmaker
(in French)
We adopt, we adapt, we try to improve things during this period of crisis, we try to stay afloat. We wish obviously that this crisis was only a bad memory, that we could find prosperity again.

Egypt
Usama Mansour, Street Vendor
(in Arabic)
Everything has become expensive. Customers are screaming at the rise in prices.

How has the global economic crisis affected … workers?

Ireland
John King, SIPTU representative
(in English)
The employees were faced with a situation where they were being asked to take a 20% pay cut. Unfortunately, that factory is now going to close and all of those jobs are gone with it.

Greece
Apostolos Rogas, Train Driver
(in Greek)
We have to work more while our income and bonuses are being significantly reduced.

Argentina
Sabrina Tevez, Supermarket Worker
(in Spanish)
If you work overtime you are not paid for it, you work less hours another day or get a day off. But you are never paid for that overtime.

Lebanon
George Nakhle, Graphic Designer
(in Arabic)
My salary remained the same, but I worked overtime before, and now they decreased the work load it decreases the chances of advancement. Nobody got fired but whoever leaves is not being replaced

How has the global economic crisis affected … families?

Greece
Panagiotis Katsiadas, Bus Driver
(in Greek)
When a family has financial problems and parents can't afford to offer their children what they need, there will be an explosion in alcoholism and crime. When people can't afford the cost of living, there will be a crime outburst.

Egypt
Mohamed Magdy, Unemployed
(in Arabic)
I depend on my father for help, my brother helps. If I get stuck, my friends are around, thank God. Things are rough and that’s it.

Argentina
Natalia Soledad Vencina, Mother of 7
(in Spanish)
There is a soup kitchen in the neighborhood but today it’s closed. That's the only help we get when we have nothing to eat. But when it’s closed... I have nothing to feed the kids.

How has the global economic crisis affected … young job seekers?

USA
Cecelia Tanaka, Recent Graduate
(in English)
Oh, it’s terrifying. It’s really, really terrifying… I would imagine that for every job opening there has to be hundreds of other candidates that are you know equally as qualified and so I’m really fighting for a position among a couple hundred candidates.

Egypt
Mahmood Ezz, Unemployed
(in Arabic)
The economic situation in the country does not allow college graduates to work and I’m willing to accept any job.

Spain
Maria Flores Galindo, Unemployed
(in Spanish)
I’ve been unemployed for 6 month right now. When I finished my last job, I was excited because I never had any problems to find a new one but after about 3 months I started to get worried because I couldn’t find anything, any offer.

India
Sunaina Sehgal, Recent Graduate
(in Hindi)
You are graduating from a good university, you pass with flying colours and yet you don’t have opportunities. There you tend to wonder, what went wrong!

What is your message to the Oslo Conference?

Indonesia
Zubaidah, Returned Migrant Worker
(in Bahasa)
It is my hope for the future that the government could open their eyes and ears to see and listen to us who are below the poverty line.

Spain
Enrique Cascallana, Mayor of Alcorcón
(in Spanish)
Without a doubt today people are worried about employment, but there is also a feeling of collective pessimism.

Lebanon
Karim Begdach, Business Owner
(in Arabic)
Speculation and real estate, essentially in finance, are killing the traditional concept of a job, that one must work hard to make a living. Speculation became everyone’s goal instead of actual work. We should give more value to actual work and decrease the possibility of making fast money, which caused the global economic setbacks.

Brazil
Baltazar, Public School Teacher
(in Portuguese)
What I think the heads of State have to do to face the crisis is to force the ones who provoked the crisis to pay for it. And who did that were the bankers, the countries’ chiefs, the big businessmen, it was not the working class. But what’s happening now is all the effects of the crisis are felt not by those who provoked it, but the workers.

Ireland
Patricia McHugh, Unemployed
(in English)
I would like to say to the world leaders, think of the human aspect in all of this, the tragedy that people are suffering. Right, it’s a financial tragedy and there’s a human element to all of this. People have lost their jobs, losing their houses, nowhere to live; their whole lives are turned upside down. Somebody has to be accountable and somebody must take action on this.
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