Two Chinese entrepreneurs in Prato, Tuscany, were arrested after a worker reported being exploited in a clothing factory near the city’s racetrack. The worker, also of Chinese origin, told prosecutors he had endured abusive working conditions. The two business owners are now under house arrest, while two of their relatives have been banned from residing in Prato.
Investigations revealed that 24 foreign workers, mostly Chinese nationals, were exploited in two businesses operating out of the same warehouse. These workers were subjected to grueling 13 to 14-hour shifts, seven days a week, paid under the table without any union protections, sick leave, vacation time, or holiday bonuses. Authorities also seized €184,000 in unpaid social security contributions.
Handwritten logs kept by the workers helped investigators uncover that each piece of clothing was paid at a rate of just €0.13. Additionally, some workers were found to be living in overcrowded dormitories with poor sanitary conditions. Local newspaper La Nazione reported that the worker who initiated the investigation has since been placed in a witness protection program.
This is not an isolated case in Prato, which hosts Europe’s largest textile district. Labor exploitation in Chinese-run factories is a long-standing issue, and since October 6, an ongoing strike has been affecting five companies for similar abuses. The strike, organized by the Sudd Cobas Prato-Firenze union, comes in response to excessive work hours, under-the-table payments, and poor working conditions that mirror those uncovered in the recent arrests.
