The Return of the Worker in Contemporary Slovene Drama

• Published in: Ars & humanitas Vol. 18; no. 1; pp. 55 - 68
• Main Author: Pezdirc Bartol, Mateja
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; German
• Published: University of Ljubljana Press (Založba Univerze v Ljubljani) 17.10.2024
• Subjects: contemporary Slovene drama; documentary theatre; social exclusion; workers; working poverty; Žiga Divjak
• ISSN: 1854-9632; 2350-4218
• DOI: 10.4312/ars.18.1.55-68

The title of this contribution stems from an observation made while reading contemporary Slovene plays, which have been reflecting contemporary social issues more and more intensely since the 2008 financial crisis. In order to get or keep a job, many people – both the unemployed, often young and from a vulnerable group, as well as precarious workers and even some workers with regular employment – are subjected to exploitation by their superiors and are unable to make a decent living despite strenuous overtime work. In a comparative context and against a backdrop of sociological findings, the article analyzes three plays with a thematic focus on workers, their rights, social protection, and working conditions: Hlapec Jernej in njegova pravica (The Bailiff Jernej and His Rights) by Žiga Divjak, Romeo in Julija sta bila begunca (Romeo and Juliet Were Refugees) by Vinko Möderndorfer, and Naše skladišče (Our Warehouse) by Tjaša Mislej. These works portray a new type of worker, one who does not rebel or struggle for change, does not have new ideas or opposes the system, but rather wishes to work, earn a decent wage, bring up their children, and be happy. The plays in question are based on documentary materials and research, such as media stories, workers’ testimonies, or autobiographical experiences; in all three plays, the real intrudes on the fictional. By raising the question of worker exploitation, the authors give voice to a workforce that is often overlooked and nearly invisible in public debate, and they call attention to how the world is becoming increasingly dehumanized. Naslov prispevka odraža opažanja ob branju sodobnih slovenskih dramskih besedil, ki se po gospodarski krizi leta 2008 vedno intenzivneje ukvarjajo z refleksijo socialnih vprašanj. Številni brezposelni, pogosto mladi in ranljive skupine, prekarni delavci in delavke, kot tudi nekateri zaposleni so za pridobitev oziroma ohranitev delavnega mesta podvrženi izkoriščevalskim odnosom nadrejenih in si kljub nadurnemu garanju s plačilom ne morejo privoščiti dostojnega življenja. V članku v primerjalnem kontekstu na ozadju socioloških spoznanj analiziram tri dramska dela, v katerih je tematika delavca, njegovih pravic, socialne zaščite in delovnih razmer v tematskem in idejnem središču. To so Hlapec Jernej in njegova pravica Žige Divjaka, Romeo in Julija sta bila begunca Vinka Möderndorferja ter Naše skladišče Tjaše Mislej. Našteta dela prikazujejo nov tip delavcev in delavk, ki niso uporniki ali borci za spremembe, niso nosilci novih idej, niso proti sistemu, temveč želijo delati, prejeti dostojno plačilo, vzgajati otroke in biti srečni. Prikazana dramska besedila temeljijo na dokumentarnem gradivu in raziskovalnem delu, pa naj gre za medijske objave, pričevanja delavcev ali avtobiografske izkušnje, v vseh treh dramah realno vdira v fiktivno. S tematizacijo izkoriščanja delavcev dajo dramatiki in dramatičarke glas v javnosti pogosto prezrti in skorajda nevidni delovni sili ter opozarjajo na vedno večjo dehumanizacijo sveta.