Worker Exploitation Uncovered at European Datacentre Construction Sites

A joint investigation by the Guardian and Investigate Europe has revealed widespread labor exploitation, dangerous working conditions, and substandard living quarters for workers constructing datacentres across Europe. The continent is currently experiencing a massive infrastructure surge, with more than 2,300 datacentres altering the physical and energy landscape as part of a major push for tech sovereignty.

In Belgium, a 34-year-old electrical tester named Sandu suffered catastrophic injuries while working at a Google datacentre site in Saint-Ghislain. In March, Sandu was directed to conduct electrical tests in a voltage room. Although told the lines were de-energised, a subsequent connection resulted in a severe arc flash. The blast delivered 400 volts and 12,000 amps across his body, burning 12 percent of his skin and resulting in a five-day induced coma. Hospital records confirmed second-degree burns to his face and neck, and third-degree burns on his right shoulder and fingers. The local labour inspectorate closed its investigation into the incident in late October without finding any wrongdoing.

Europe's datacentre boom relies heavily on the severe exploitation and dangerous conditions faced by migrant workers.

Similar hazards and operational failures have surfaced at other major tech hubs. Near Gävle in Sweden, workers expanding a Microsoft AI datacentre site reported severely crowded living quarters, including 24 people sharing a single kitchen and 14 men using one bathroom. Workers highlighted ongoing issues with broken ventilation, a lack of heating during sub-zero winters, and vermin infestations. Medical records further showed that a Romanian worker at the site tested active for tuberculosis in February, with minimal reporting to authorities or immediate containment by the subcontractor BenBau, which later settled with the union Solidariska Byggare regarding back pay and site access.

Across multiple sites in Sweden, Norway, Belgium, and the Netherlands, interviews with over 30 workers uncovered payslips indicating consistent failures to pay overtime and holiday wages. National work authorities, such as Sweden’s Work Environment Authority, have faced numerous incident reports involving heavy machinery accidents, falls, and structural hazards. While companies maintain they adhere to safety standards and labour laws, unions emphasize that the rapid expansion of European tech infrastructure continues to place vulnerable migrant workers at severe risk.