I had a breakdown

In the final part of our Living Wage series, UniteLive speaks to a man whose low-wage job led to his breakdown.

The UK may officially be the world’s sixth strongest economy, but for millions of people living on low pay, this fact is little consolation as they struggle to meet even the most basic expenses.

For Anwar Ezzat*, who migrated to the UK in 2008, life was much more rewarding in his home country of Egypt.

“It’s something that may shock you, but in Egypt, everything was better. I was paid more, and I was treated with greater respect as a worker. Here in the UK, my life is a nightmare.”

Ezzat works in the catering industry in London. Before migrating to the UK, he had over 20 years of experience in various managerial roles. He worked tirelessly to find a job when he arrived. Even though he was overqualified for the position, he took on the job he still has today as a catering supervisor for a London chain restaurant.

“I’ve worked in the same job for six years. They started me at £7 an hour, and I’m still making the exact same rate.”

Ezzat says he’s lucky in that he had a good deal of savings he brought with him from Egypt, but he sees how his colleagues struggle to make ends meet.

“You cannot live on my wage alone. It’s impossible.”

But more than just the bad pay, Ezzat believes that a culture of disrespect is built into low-wage industries.

“The way they’ve treated me is unbelievable. I’m 46, and all they want to do now is to hire young. I have years of experience, so they ask me to train assistant managers. After I train them, they become my bosses. It’s humiliating.”

Ezzat recalls various incidents in which managers brazenly hired friends and relatives to fill positions they had absolutely no qualifications for. Once, Ezzat was demoted publically in front of his colleagues, and was given no explanation. After Ezzat raised a grievance with the HR department, the demotion was found to be a mistake, but he has yet to receive an apology.

“After all this, and the constant workload with no reward – low pay, no chance for promotion – I had a nervous breakdown.”

Ezzat was recently diagnosed with work-related stress and depression, for which he takes medication.

“I used to be a completely different person. I used to laugh,” he says. “Now I need medication just to get me through the day. It’s really hard on my wife; it’s not fair to her to see me like this.”

“Some of my friends say, ‘It’s just a job; don’t take it so seriously.’ But it’s not just a job. It’s your life. It’s what you spend most of your time doing. We have a right to ask that we be treated with dignity.”

*Name changed to protect identity