What happened
Workers at the salad producer Sunsalat in Åstorp have received their wages for September and October. According to Livsmedelsarbetarförbundet, the union would otherwise have been forced to file for the company's bankruptcy. The police raided the factory just over a month ago. The company's owners and key executives are remanded in custody on probable cause, suspected of gross human exploitation and human trafficking. It is currently unclear whether production will start up again.
Our analysis
Labor exploitation is no workplace accident. It is a cynical business model based on people in extreme vulnerability being forced to produce cheap food for the rest of society. The fact that wages are now being paid out at the last minute before a bankruptcy filing does not erase suspicions about what actually occurred inside the factory walls.
In the political debate, new Swedes are often spoken of as a cost or a problem. The reality looks different. New Swedes uphold large parts of the Swedish food industry, cleaning sector, and care sector, but are often left completely unprotected against unscrupulous business owners who profit from their work.
The question must be turned around. It is not just about an isolated raid in Åstorp. The question is how suspected human trafficking and gross exploitation can go on in the heart of Sweden year after year without authorities' inspections sounding the alarm before the damage is already done.
Explained
Human exploitation is a crime under the Swedish Penal Code meaning that someone exploits a person under manifestly unreasonable conditions, for example through forced labor or unreasonably low wages.