'Slave-like conditions' on Swedish army base
Kitchen staff at the Swedish military base in Afghanistan have been working under "slave-like conditions", being forced to pay for employment, according to a report by Swedish daily Expressen.
"It makes me livid," Colonel Anders Löfberg told the paper.
"As a Swede you get outraged over all the injustices and we look at this type of exploitation very seriously."
At a routine check at the Swedish military base in Afghanistan, the Swedish Armed Forces discovered the inhumane conditions the staff were subjected to and put their staffing service, Swiss company Supreme, against the wall.
Supreme then carried out an internal investigation and has confirmed that they had hired a recruitment agency to find personnel for the kitchens.
It was allegedly this company which forced the staff to pay for their jobs, which in practice meant they had to hand over up to eight month's pay in return for employment.
Most of the workers are Indian or Nepalese and the responsible company is believed to be located in India.
Supreme has since notified the Swedish Armed Forces that they will report the company and carry out an investigation into the suspicions of human trafficking.
The company also claimed to have cancelled their contract with the Indian company, but has as of yet made no promises regarding compensation for the exploited personnel, according to Expressen.
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"It makes me livid," Colonel Anders Löfberg told the paper.
"As a Swede you get outraged over all the injustices and we look at this type of exploitation very seriously."
At a routine check at the Swedish military base in Afghanistan, the Swedish Armed Forces discovered the inhumane conditions the staff were subjected to and put their staffing service, Swiss company Supreme, against the wall.
Supreme then carried out an internal investigation and has confirmed that they had hired a recruitment agency to find personnel for the kitchens.
It was allegedly this company which forced the staff to pay for their jobs, which in practice meant they had to hand over up to eight month's pay in return for employment.
Most of the workers are Indian or Nepalese and the responsible company is believed to be located in India.
Supreme has since notified the Swedish Armed Forces that they will report the company and carry out an investigation into the suspicions of human trafficking.
The company also claimed to have cancelled their contract with the Indian company, but has as of yet made no promises regarding compensation for the exploited personnel, according to Expressen.
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