Champagne Pickers Treated "Like Dogs"
Summary
Date Reported: 26 Sep 2023
Location: France
Other
Not Reported ( Agriculture/food/beverage/tobacco/fishing: General ) - EmployerAffected
Total individuals affected: 18
Migrant & immigrant workers: ( Number unknown - Bulgaria , Agriculture/food/beverage/tobacco/fishing: General , Gender not reported )Issues
Occupational Health & Safety , Precarious/Unsuitable Living Conditions , Access to electricityResponse
Response sought: No
Action taken: The local French prefecture shut down the accommodation.
Source type: News outlet
Summary
Date Reported: 26 Sep 2023
Location: France
Companies
L'Orge Fleur - Other Value Chain EntityAffected
Total individuals affected: 73
Migrant & immigrant workers: ( 73 - Europe & Central Asia , Agriculture/food/beverage/tobacco/fishing: General , Gender not reported )Issues
Precarious/Unsuitable Living ConditionsResponse
Response sought: No
Action taken: French authorities closed the accommodation site.
Source type: News outlet
Summary
Date Reported: 26 Sep 2023
Location: France
Other
Not Reported ( Agriculture/food/beverage/tobacco/fishing: General ) - EmployerAffected
Total individuals affected: 160
Migrant & immigrant workers: ( 160 - Ukraine , Agriculture/food/beverage/tobacco/fishing: General , Gender not reported )Issues
Precarious/Unsuitable Living ConditionsResponse
Response sought: No
Action taken: French prefecture ordered the migrants to be rehoused.
Source type: News outlet
Summary
Date Reported: 26 Sep 2023
Location: France
Companies
Veuve Cliquot (part of LVMH group) - Buyer , Vitichenille - Recruiter , Serviti - Recruiter , Rajviti - RecruiterAffected
Total individuals affected: 200
Migrant & immigrant workers: ( 200 - Afghanistan , Agriculture/food/beverage/tobacco/fishing: General , Gender not reported )Issues
Human TraffickingResponse
Response sought: No
Action taken: Rajviti was sentenced to three years imprisonment and ordered to pay €100,000 ($106,479) for trafficking after losing their appeal against human trafficking charges. An employee of Champagne brand, Veuve Cliquot, owned by the LVMH group (Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton) was exonerated from any responsibility or charges. The Champagne house had said that it was unaware of the situation of the grape pickers.
Source type: News outlet
Summary
Date Reported: 26 Sep 2023
Location: France
Other
Not Reported ( Agriculture/food/beverage/tobacco/fishing: General ) - EmployerAffected
Total individuals affected: Number unknown
Migrant & immigrant workers: ( Number unknown - Location unknown , Agriculture/food/beverage/tobacco/fishing: General , Gender not reported )Issues
Human TraffickingResponse
Response sought: No
Source type: News outlet
“Champagne Pickers Treated "Like Dogs"”
…Anavim… was allegedly responsible for 'hiring' the pickers according to the pickers…
… [Anavim’s] owner…denied allegations of human trafficking…
…18 Bulgarian pickers were housed in unsafe conditions…
Two further makeshift accommodation centers housing grape pickers from Eastern Europe…
… French authorities closed an accommodation site in the Champagne village of Vinay, in which 73 grape pickers from Eastern Europe were housed in unworthy conditions …in the greenhouses of plant nurseries owned by …L'Orge Fleur…
… French prefecture ordered 160 Ukrainian grape pickers to be rehoused…
…CGT union… denounced the existence of a makeshift campsite in the village of Moussey in which grape pickers had "no water, no electricity."…
Toubart and Chatillon…said it was their "collective responsibility" to put an end to such behavior…
…two owners of recruitment company Rajviti were sentenced to three years imprisonment…
An employee of Champagne brand, Veuve Cliquot, owned by the LVMH group (Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton) was exonerated from any responsibility or charges…
Veuve Cliquot had sub-contracted recruitment to recruitment agency Vitichenille, which in turn, sub-contracted Serviti, which then led to the sub-contraction of Rajviti to hire grape pickers…
…ordered Moet-Hennessy Champagne Services to pay €17,000 ($18,113) after it had rejected the company's appeal against charges of non-compliance to working hour laws…