The former employee alleges that the Luxembourgish hotel put adverts in Portuguese papers, enticing people to leave Portugal to come work for the hotel in Vianden. There, the Portuguese employees were forced to work under gruelling conditions, with working hours going up to 78 hours a week, their housing described as being in a 'catastrophic condition', and not even being registered with social security services. The Portuguese press in Luxembourg made the initial discovery of the incidents.
Tiago Macedo told RTL how the advert by the firm, which owns a hotel in Vianden and a restaurant near Diekirch, offered a salary of €1,800 a month, hugely appealing to Portuguese workers. What's more, the advert claimed the employer would reimburse the initial flight to Luxembourg, but upon arrival, it became clear that the reality was a far cry from the advert.
He explained that around twelve Portuguese and Brazilian workers were flown in to work 78-hour weeks, and forced to sleep in the attic about the Vianden restaurant in conditions Macedo described as inhumane. Workers were not paid for their overtime and the situation quickly became one that was mentally abusive.
The whistleblower hopes that his interview with RTL will raise awareness that Luxembourg too is not immune to situations of human trafficking. Macedo has boldly identified himself, despite having received threats. He has alerted the authorities, including the Inspectorate for Labour and Mines.
Video in Luxembourgish.
Italian author and sociologist Leonardo Palmisano believes that illegal exploitation of workers is intrinsically connected to the mafia. Palmisano was at a conference at the Neimünster Abbey and has researched human trafficking for ten years now. His latest book, Ascia Nera, focuses on the Nigerian mafia, which is prevalent in drug trafficking and prostitution throughout the world.
