France: Romanian and Polish workers treated as slaves with a 18 euro salary/month

Vineri, 29 mai 2009, 14:10 English | Regional Europe

Several Romanian and Polish women were obliged to work in improper conditions in East France, AFP informs. Local authorities started an investigation on the working conditions of the women after a French labor union signaled the improper conditions they were imposed by the employer.

In a press release, the French CGT labor union denounced the inhuman conditions the women were obliged to work at a farm in Brumath, East France. According to the union, the women received a salary of several euro cents for each kg of collected strawberries or asparagus.

The women were housed in buildings that looked like caves according to the French union representatives and paid with 6 euro for ten days of work. French authorities confirmed the accusations of the union. Brumath mayor, Etienne Wolff declared that the employer, of German origin had several problems with authorities in the last years.

Some tens of workers working at the farm were sent back in Romania on Wednesday.