Full Breakdown
European Data-Centre Labour Exploitation: Injuries, Wage Theft, and a Historic Collective Deal
By Drooid · · How we work
In this breakdown
01
Core Incident – Electrocution of a Migrant Worker in Belgium
In March, Sandu *, a 34-year-old electrical tester from Romania, was ordered to perform a final safety test at a Google data-centre in Saint-Ghislain, Belgium. Skipping a protective suit, he was exposed to a live line delivering 400 V and 12,000 A. The arc flash caused blindness, second-degree burns to his face and neck, and third-degree burns across his right shoulder and fingers, affecting 12 % of his body. He spent five days in an induced coma and a week in intensive care. The regional Google director visited him in hospital and called him “lucky to be alive.” The local labour inspectorate closed its investigation in late October, finding no wrongdoing, and no company or contractor has been held liable.
02
Broader Context – A Datacentre Boom Fueled by Migrant Labour
A five-month investigation by Investigate Europe and the Guardian found more than 2,300 data-centre facilities across Europe, including at least 500 in the United Kingdom. Irish-owned contractors such as Dornan Engineering, BenBau and Collen Construction are repeatedly used by U.S. tech giants to build these sites.
03
Working Conditions Across Sites – Sweden as a Case Study
At the Microsoft AI-datacentre expansion near Gävle, Sweden (a €3 billion, 130-hectare project begun in June 2024), migrant workers employed by BenBau live in overcrowded housing—24 people sharing a kitchen and 14 men sharing a single bathroom. Workers reported vermin infestations, broken ventilation and lack of heating during sub-zero winters. In February, a Romanian worker tested positive for active tuberculosis; subsequent cases showed similar symptoms, yet Sweden’s Public Health Agency recorded no official outbreak.
Workers also described excessive hours and unpaid wages. More than 30 workers provided payslips showing 50–60 hour weeks with no overtime or holiday pay. The union Solidariska Byggare, representing 70 Romanian workers at the Gävle site, brokered a settlement with BenBau that includes back-pay and union access to sites.
04
Data & Statistics
- >2,300 datacentres in Europe, with >=500 in the UK (Guardian investigation).
- 148 firms work on the Gävle Microsoft project, including 28 direct subcontractors.
- 78 workers covered by the collective agreement reached on October 23.
- The agreement totals 15 million Swedish krona (€1.3 million) and raises hourly pay to 260 kronor (€23.49), well above the national average.
05
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The Belgian labour inspectorate’s October closure found no violation, while the Guardian and Investigate Europe investigations attribute the accident to unsafe practices and pressure on workers to refuse protective gear. No criminal or civil liability has been assigned to Google, Dornan Engineering or the recruiting agency, leaving a gap between official findings and worker testimonies.
06
Verbatim Quotes
- “If people let these big American multinationals come here and import their anti-union business models, then it becomes a problem. Because behind the fence they are abusing workers, and they don’t want anyone to know it.” — Johan Danielsson
- “The new collective agreement is the first Swedish collective agreement written by and for migrant workers,” — Pelle Sunvisson
07
What’s Next – Implementation of the Swedish Collective Deal
The collective agreement takes effect on November 1, granting back-pay, higher hourly wages and the right for workers to elect health and security representatives. It also secures union access to all data-centre sites in Sweden where BenBau operates.
*Names have been changed for privacy.*