A new EFFAT report identifies the appalling working, employment and housing conditions affecting thousands of meat workers in many countries across Europe as the reasons why meat processing plants have become vectors for the spread of Covid-19...

[T]he EFFAT study outlines the effects of coronavirus on the meat sector in various countries across Europe, and provides an overview of the work arrangements and business practices pursued by meat companies to cut costs and escape employer liability. It paints a bleak picture of a sector in need of urgent and serious reform, while highlighting instances of good practice as evidence once again of the crucial role for collective bargaining in setting decent labour standards and ensuring fair competition.

Exploitative working conditions, overcrowded accommodation, up to 16 hour-working days, low pay, illegal wage deductions and job insecurity are just some of the injustices facing meat workers in Europe. The sector has also long depended to a large extent on migrant and cross-border workers – from inside the EU and from third countries – who are often the subject of unequal treatment and abuse.

Inevitably, Covid-19 has exacerbated many of these issues, leading over the last few weeks to numerous meat processing plants becoming vectors for the spread of the virus...

EFFAT’s report calls for concrete and urgent actions, including binding measures, to be adopted both at national as well as EU level...