Investigation Reveals Labor Abuse at Google and Microsoft Sites

A joint investigation by the Guardian and Investigate Europe has uncovered systemic labor exploitation and safety failures at data center construction sites across Belgium, Sweden, Norway, and the Netherlands. The reports detail severe workplace accidents, including a catastrophic arc flash electrocution at a Google site in Saint-Ghislain, Belgium, and a roof fall at a Microsoft site in Sweden.

In Gävle, Sweden, workers at a Microsoft AI data center expansion reported squalid living conditions characterized by vermin infestations and a tuberculosis outbreak. These workers, employed by subcontractor BenBau, also alleged unpaid overtime and missed holiday pay. While the union Solidariska Byggare brokered settlements for back pay, national authorities in Belgium and Sweden frequently closed investigations into these incidents without pursuing prosecutions or finding wrongdoing.

Google and Microsoft maintain that their supplier codes of conduct require compliance with local labor laws and safety standards. Subcontractors involved in the projects, including BenBau, Collen Construction, and Dornan Engineering, have issued statements emphasizing their commitment to worker welfare and the maintenance of safe working conditions.