Europe is currently in the midst of a datacentre boom, representing the largest infrastructure surge the continent has seen in decades, with more than 2,300 datacentres rapidly altering the physical and energy landscape—including at least 500 in the UK—and hundreds more under construction.
However, unions say the push for tech sovereignty in Europe is becoming increasingly reliant on the exploitation of migrant workers. With many foreign workers unfamiliar with the laws, unions note that inequity can arise quickly on these massive construction sites.
In response to labor concerns, Microsoft stated: “To ensure our contractors’ compliance with Microsoft’s human rights and fair labour policies, we have robust processes in place, including audits.” Nonetheless, workers report a climate of fear where people have been fired after saying no.
Working conditions on such sites can make the transmission of disease more likely. After the first worker who contracted a disease had left for hospital, a company named Benbau moved another worker into his infected roommate's bedroom.
Labor concerns extend beyond health risks to daily tasks and labor standards. One task, which a worker named Sandu had done many times before, involved a series of tests measuring the safety and integrity of the electrical wiring.
BenBau initially informed only a few men who shared close quarters with the infected worker and then told the men that testing was optional, according to workers.