What happened
The Ukrainian intern Mykola came to a farm in Mellansverige via an internship program. During his stay, he was forced to work long night shifts and work so hard that he lost over 20 kilos in weight. Other interns who Dagens Nyheter has spoken to testify about incorrect wages and being subjected to surveillance. After the union intervened and demanded rectification, many of the interns have received money retroactively.
Our analysis
The farm's employer exploited the interns' precarious position through underpayment and surveillance until the union forced a rectification. That a person is forced to work so hard that their weight plummets by over 20 kilos shows how the line between practical training and pure exploitation has been erased in the workplace. The reporting shows that money has been paid out, but it does not ask the question of who approved the internship program and how many more farms use the same setup. Union interventions can provide compensation after the fact, but the regulatory framework remains open to abuse as long as no authority examines working conditions before the interns arrive.
Explained
An internship program is intended to provide practical training and experience within a profession, but often entails lower compensation and weaker employment protection than regular employment.
Source: Dagens Nyheter