Group of Romanian workers complain of near slavery work conditions on construction site in Germany

A group of 50 Romanian workers recently started a protest on a construction site in Germany, as they had not been paid since December, according to French newspaper Republicain Lorrain. The workers, who are building a holiday village in Nohfelden, close to the borders with France and Luxembourg, say their working conditions are close to slavery, and they complained of the terrible conditions to the IG Bau trade union for the Renania-Palatinat and Saarland regions.

Markus Andler, deputy manager of IG Bau, said the Romanians work up to 170 hours a month, sometimes without any free time at the end of the week. There was only one EUR 8,000 pay for 15 workers at the end of last week, said Andler. Up to 15 people sleep in the same room, some of them on the floor, he added, further saying these are outrageous conditions similar to slavery, quoted by Romanian news agency Mediafax. A meeting is scheduled for Wednesday with the management of the company building the holiday village, IETC, and further meetings are scheduled in the region's parliament, at Sarrebrucken. IETC has 180 employees building wooden houses and uses subcontractors. One of these subcontractors recruited the 50 Romanians in December last year. editor@romania-insider.com