Thousands of foreign workers in Germany are subject to extremely severe exploitation, mainly in construction, agriculture and logistics, the daily Neues Deutschland (ed.-aktuell) writes about this on July 30.
“In some cases we are faced with mafia structures”said Pagonis Pagonakis, an expert from the Arbeit und Leben trade union organisation, which advises people who have suffered labour exploitation.
According to Pagonakis, workers from Eastern European countries such as Romania or from third countries outside the EU are specifically recruited through temporary employment agencies, making false promises. Once in Germany, the workers become extremely dependent financially and psychologically on their employer, explains Pagonakis.
A trip promised by a temporary employment agency often turns out to be more expensive than advertised. On the construction site, workers are forced to sign a contract they do not understand.
Rent for housing, which employers often have direct access to, is deducted from their wages and social security contributions are not paid in full or at all. “Their situation or helplessness is systematically exploited.”Pagonakis reports.
According to statistics from the Federal Criminal Police Office, more than 1,000 workers were victims of this type of exploitation in 2022 alone – five times more than in the previous year. However, many cases are not even included in the statistics, which is why the number of unrecorded cases is much higher, according to advice centres.
Trade unions are also calling for stricter regulation and a ban on temporary work and employment contracts, for example in the parcel and delivery sector and in agriculture.
Source: Rossa Primavera
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