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From March to November, six to seven days a week, from dusk till dawn, they planted new trees, cut old ones, and cleared the forest. They were hired for seasonal work in Czech forests. Some were paid only part of their salaries; others didn’t receive a penny, and most lived through constant humiliation.
In 2009 and 2010, firms such as Affumicata Inc. and Wood Servis Praha Ltd. offered between 400 and 1200 Euros for a month of forestry work. They attracted hundreds of workers from Vietnam, Romania, and Slovakia this way. However, these Czech firms never paid the salaries they promised, and still owe their workers for weeks of labor to this day. By the end of the working season some workers did not even have enough money to buy food, and some of those who protested were threatened by the management.
It was LESS & Forest Ltd., a giant in the Central European forestry industry, which in 2009 and 2010 won the public tenders on which the forestry work was performed; be it the state-owned Lesy České Republiky, Krkonoše national park, or the Šumava national park. The firm hired subcontractors, including companies known for deceiving foreign workers. These subcontractors have the lowest price for labor on the market. Although their deceitful practices and the names of the main individuals behind this abuse have been made public, it appears that the same practices are still in place and that more workers will be taken advantage of in Czech forests this season.
Criminal complaint and investigation
Three lawyers representing past forestry workers from Vietnam, Slovakia and Romania filed a complaint in June 2010 accusing the relevant companies of trafficking in persons and deceipt. Currently the amount of money the workers are owed is in the ten thousand Czech crowns range per person. At the same time, the numbers of former workers of Affumicata, Wood Servis Praha and others represented by the attorneys is continuously rising. In addition, these companies still owe financial compensations for a number of firms nationally and abroad, including transportation companies and housing agencies for the seasonal forestry workers’ accommodation costs.
Although the police have been investigating the case since last year, the lawyers have repeatedly criticized the investigation for being slow and insufficient. There has been an increased effort especially in 2011 to investigate the companies by various Czech state labor agencies. The results have been mixed. For example, Affumicata was fined 1,387 million crowns for breaking the Czech labor law, however, it is questionable whether the company will pay this sum given that its official ownership changed multiple times and therefore, the original owners and representatives who were in hold of the company are no longer there. In 2011, labor inspectors found that labor laws were being broken by Madera Servicio.
The campaign for the rights of migrant forest workers and its goals
First and foremost, we want justice for the forestry workers! This campaign supports all past forestry laborers who worked for the above mentioned firms. It is mainly supported by the Initiative for the Rights of Migrant Workers, Initiative No to Racism!, La Strada in the Czech Republic, o.p.s., Multicultural Center Prague as well as numerous individuals.
Our goals:
- Warn about the abuse of migrant workers in Czech forests.
- Support forestry laborers and their efforts in obtaining their unpaid salaries.
- Ensure a full and timely investigation of this case.
- Stop any further abuse from these specific employers, as well as ensure the appropriate working conditions for all forestry laborers.
Contact us at: zastromkare@zastromkare.cz
The campaign is supported by:
