January 12, 2015
This case follows Ana S., an undocumented au pair working in Hamburg, Germany. With the assistance of migrant worker organizations and ver.di (a multi-sector union in Germany representing 2.2 million workers), Ana S. was successful in fighting for unpaid wages in the German courts. While this case follows the experience of one migrant worker, it potentially creates a precedent for the courts in Germany to address employment disputes for migrant workers without addressing the legal status of workers.
Significantly for the union, this case led to the creation of a migrant worker drop-in center (MigAr) to assist with wage, safety, abuse and other legal issue, representing a shift within the union on the integration of migrant workers.