(Newswire.net — May 16, 2016) — Working in factories is often harsh, but according a new report some US factories have working conditions like those in undeveloped third world countries, a new report from NGO Oxfam America says. The report states that factory line workers are forced to wear diapers.
The poultry business is booming, but thousands of workers suffer inhumane treatment at processing plants, a shocking report says. Some of them, mocked and threatened, are forced to wear diapers or beg for bathroom breaks out of fear of losing their jobs.
The research conducted between 2013 and 2016 unveils brutal details and life-threatening conditions that workers face every day.
“Workers struggle to cope with this denial of a basic human need. They urinate and defecate while standing on the line; they wear diapers to work; they restrict intake of liquids and fluids to dangerous degrees; they endure pain and discomfort while they worry about their health and job security,” reported the author of the Oxfam America group report.
It is not just their dignity that suffers, the group reported that working conditions are life threatening and workers are “in danger of serious health problems.” According to a study cited in the report, not being able to use the bathroom when necessary results in pressure on the bladder and urethra, which can cause kidney damage, infection, and even death.
The report named No Relief is focused on US poultry factories, however, it implies similar situation is in other branches as well, where workers behind the scenes hardly benefited from the increasing revenues. Instead, they are often victims of not only terrible working conditions but experience severe bullying at work.
“Our supervisor always makes fun of us. He says we eat too much so we go to the bathroom a lot,” said Fern, a worker at the Tyson plant in Arkansas.
In a lawsuit against a poultry company in Mississippi, female workers complained that their supervisor “charged them money for such things as using the bathroom.”
The report is packed with testimonials revealing slavery-like conditions in factories across the US. It reveals that a fear of losing their job overcomes the shame, so workers often keep quiet.
“I’m afraid of my supervisor. Each time I complain, she’s given me harder work. So I just stay quiet. If I go to human resources to complain, everything goes worse for me,” explained Rosario, who works at Case Farms in North Carolina.
The No Relief report says it is mainly female workers that suffer, stating that there is no leeway even if a woman is pregnant.
“When I ask permission, I have to wait 15 minutes, half an hour, sometimes more… I hope I don’t have problems with my baby. I have only a month to go. I’ve had an infection in my urinary tract. It’s been much more difficult being pregnant,” revealed María, an eight-month pregnant worker at the Case plant in North Carolina.
