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Labor Exploitation in the EU and Greece

manoladaWorkers who travel within the EU, or migrate to the EU are at risk of becoming victims of severe labor exploitation according to a report published by the Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA). The report notes that while the EU has adopted a legislation that prohibits certain forms of severe labor exploitation this phenomena happens quite often.
Furthermore, the report’s findings show that criminal labor exploitation is widespread in a number of sectors, notably agriculture, construction, hotels and restaurant services, domestic work and manufacturing, while the perpetrators are not at particular risk of being prosecuted or obliged to compensate their victims. Despite the diverse geographical and sectoral breakdown, workers who are exploited, often show significant similarities, such as very low salaries and a 12-hour working scheduled for six or seven days a week.
The FRA report also made references to specific cases in Greece, where the perpetrators were either set free or received small penalties. In Manolada for example, 119 migrants from Bangladesh were working under inhumane conditions in a strawberry crops field and when they asked to get paid 22 euros per day of work as they had been promised, their employers shot at them. Greek authorities declared the migrants as victims of labor trafficking and granted residence permits to the 35 workers who were injured. Moreover, out of the four perpetrators who were arrested, one was found guilty on charges of causing serious bodily harm, one was found guilty for mere participation and two were released. The business owner was acquitted unanimously from the charges of serious assault and labor trafficking.
Meanwhile, migrants working without a permit who fall victims of labor exploitation often do not make formal complaints because they fear deportation. For example two men of Bulgarian origin, who worked in Greek pastures complained about their working conditions to the police. The authorities arrived in their place of work, but due to family relation between the officer and the farmer, the workers were threatened with deportation. The case was later undertaken by Bulgarian authorities.
Another factor that contributes to the continuation of this phenomenon is the lack of comprehensive and effective working conditions monitoring, often due to lack of necessary resources. As an example, the report made reference to the tourism industry in Greece.
Moreover, Greece is also referenced as an example in labor exploitation cases related to companies working for the public sector. The report, noted a specific incident, where a woman, native of Ghana, who was working for a cleaning company operating in public sector building, complained about the working conditions and was then forced to voluntarily resign.
Finally, the report noted that Greece is among the three European countries where trade unions provide increasingly active assistance to employees regarding their employment rights, including those without a work permit. The other two countries are Austria and Ireland.

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