Migrant Workers Face Exploitation and Severe Injuries Across Europe’s Datacentre Boom
Europe’s expansion of datacentres has triggered a construction surge, relying heavily on migrant workers who unions say face exploitation and hazardous conditions. An investigation by theguardian.com and Investigate Europe has revealed workplace accidents and labor concerns across sites in countries including Sweden, Norway, and Belgium. While tech giants Google and Microsoft cite strict labor standards for their suppliers, union representatives and workers report systemic failures in health, safety, and wage compliance.
Severe Electrical Injuries at Google’s Belgian Facility
In March 2024, a 34-year-old electrical tester named Sandu suffered catastrophic injuries while working a late-shift assignment at a Google datacentre in Saint-Ghislain, Belgium. theguardian.com reported that Sandu had already completed nearly 10 hours of work when instructed to perform safety tests on electrical wiring without retrieving his protective suit from a locked equipment room. Managers confirmed the lines were de-energized, but during a second test, 400 volts and 12,000 amps surged through the cables. The resulting arc flash caused second-degree burns to his face and neck and third-degree burns across his right shoulder and fingers, burning 12% of his body. Hospitalized at the Grand Hôpital de Charleroi, Sandu spent five days in an induced coma. Despite the severity of the incident, the local labor inspectorate closed its investigation in late October without finding wrongdoing or attributing liability to any company or contractor.
Substandard Living Conditions and Disease in Sweden
On the outskirts of Gävle, Sweden, construction crews building a €3bn AI datacentre expansion for Microsoft face severe logistical and health challenges. theguardian.com documented worker testimonies detailing overcrowded housing quarters where 24 men shared a single kitchen and 14 relied on one bathroom. Workers reported persistent vermin infestations, broken ventilation, and a lack of heating during sub-zero winter months. In February, a Romanian worker living in these quarters tested positive for active tuberculosis. According to worker accounts, the contractor BenBau initially informed only a select group of close contacts and characterized testing as optional, subsequently moving a new worker into the infected employee’s room after he was hospitalized. Freedom of information requests confirmed that Sweden’s national work authorities and Public Health Agency received no formal report of the outbreak.
Subcontracting Chains and Workplace Safety Incidents
Since 2021, Sweden’s Work Environment Authority (AV) has opened 50 cases regarding working conditions at Microsoft datacentre sites. An internal incident report admitted that the incorrect machine was used, the driver lacked a formal certificate, and the lift plan was incomplete despite being signed off; the Work Environment Authority declined to refer the employer to prosecutors. James McCabe of Unite the Union stated that Irish datacentre contractors operating at major tech sites frequently restrict normal union access and generate serious concerns regarding labor exploitation. Johan Danielsson, a European parliament rapporteur regulating subcontracting chains, warned that foreign tech multinationals risk importing anti-union business models that shield worker abuse behind perimeter fences.
Corporate Responses and Regulatory Scrutiny
Tech companies and their primary contractors maintain that rigorous safety protocols and supplier codes of conduct are actively enforced. theguardian.com reported that a Google spokesperson emphasized that supplier contracts require compliance with local labor laws and safe working conditions, alongside active dialogues with trade groups. A Microsoft spokesperson stated that the company enforces clear requirements on health, safety, and the right to collective bargaining through robust processes and audits. Meanwhile, regional suppliers have adjusted operations following labor disputes; shortly before the publication of the investigation, the union Solidariska Byggare brokered a settlement with BenBau securing back pay for 70 Romanian workers and guaranteeing union site access. Representatives for Dornan Engineering and BenBau reaffirmed their commitments to maintaining safe working conditions and addressing workplace concerns.