Migrant construction workers building Europe’s rapidly expanding digital infrastructure face severe labor exploitation, including life-threatening electrocutions, active tuberculosis outbreaks, and withheld wages, according to a joint investigation by The Guardian and Investigate Europe. The findings expose deep vulnerabilities in the supply chains powering tech giants across Belgium, Sweden, Norway, and the Netherlands.
The Arc Flash in Saint-Ghislain and the Human Cost of Datacentre Expansion
Europe is currently navigating a surge in infrastructure. More than 2,300 datacentres are altering the physical and energy landscape, with hundreds more under construction to meet demands. Yet, unions warn this boom relies heavily on vulnerable migrant labor.
The human toll of this fast-paced construction was laid bare in March at a vast Google datacentre site in Saint-Ghislain, Belgium. Sandu, a 34-year-old electrical tester, was winding down the final 15 minutes of a nearly 10-hour shift when the call came in. Reluctant to fetch his protective suit from a distant room due to the delay, Sandu proceeded to the voltage room after managers confirmed the lines were de-energized.
During the second test, the lines proved to be live. Medical records seen by journalists document that the blast caused second-degree burns to his face and neck, and third-degree burns across his right shoulder and fingers, covering 12% of his body.
To date, no company or contractor has been found liable. The local labor inspectorate completed its investigation at the end of October and found no wrongdoing. A representative of Dornan Engineering, the Irish company supervising Sandu’s contractor, stated it sought to maintain safe working conditions and comply with labor legislation. Meanwhile, a Google spokesperson emphasized that suppliers are contractually required to comply with local labor legislation and provide safe and healthy working conditions.
Sub-Zero Conditions and Disease Outbreaks in Gävle
A similar pattern of precarious conditions extends far beyond Belgium. On the outskirts of Gävle, Sweden, part of a 130-hectare, €3 billion expansion plan begun in June 2024 to scale up Microsoft’s AI datacentre infrastructure, migrant workers face severe infrastructural neglect. Workers employed by BenBau, one of 148 firms operating under Collen Construction, reported overcrowded living quarters where 24 people shared a single kitchen and 14 men shared one bathroom.
Workers also reported vermin infestations, broken ventilation systems, and a lack of heating during sub-zero Swedish winters. In February, medical records showed that one Romanian worker contracted active tuberculosis. According to workers, BenBau initially informed only a few people who lived near the sick worker and said that testing was voluntary. Freedom of information requests confirmed that Sweden’s national work authorities and Public Health Agency had received no reports of an outbreak.
Data from Eurostat shows that construction remains the most dangerous economic sector in the European Union, recording 776 deaths in 2024—nearly a quarter of all fatal workplace accidents in Europe. At the Gävle Microsoft site, freedom of information requests to Sweden’s Work Environment Authority (AV) revealed that since 2021, the agency has opened 50 cases into working conditions involving Microsoft and a number of Irish firms.
Financial Exploitation and Regulatory Blind Spots
Beyond physical hazards, financial exploitation remains pervasive. More than 30 workers provided hundreds of payslips to journalists indicating they worked 50 to 60 hours a week without receiving overtime or holiday pay. The union Solidariska Byggare recently brokered a settlement with BenBau for 70 Romanian workers in Gävle, securing back pay and site access. A spokesperson for BenBau said the company “takes all concerns regarding the welfare, health and safety of our people extremely seriously” and has “stringent procedures for reporting, investigating and addressing workplace concerns”.
| Project Location | Key Contractor / Tech Giant | Documented Incidents & Issues |
|---|---|---|
| Saint-Ghislain, Belgium | Google / Dornan Engineering | Severe arc flash electrocution resulting in 12% body burns; labor inspectorate found no wrongdoing. |
| Gävle, Sweden | Microsoft / BenBau & Collen | Active tuberculosis outbreak, overcrowded housing, sub-zero heating failures, and withheld overtime pay. |
| Broader European Sector | Various Tech Giants | Eurostat data records 776 construction fatalities in EU (2024). |
As the European data centre industry forecasts €100 billion of investments into European data centres by 2030, systemic vulnerabilities in construction supply chains continue to draw scrutiny. In response to these issues, the European Commission will soon formally propose a sweeping piece of legislation called the Quality Jobs Act, with the aim of improving worker protections while bringing into line better supply chain compliance.
