just held by him, us would be released at this hour state june 4th to close up with an episode that pops open at the dark side of the champagne industry. thank you so much for watching the, the the is, it is someplace how in key, more people than ever on the move world wide and such a base in life. i suggested in cardboard, that's almost always, that's sort of what i find out about bailey story. info migraines. to the heart of sean pioneer and national, you can see there's money here. major champagne brands are enjoying record sales,

but the people at the other end of the value chain faced a very different fate. good from i thought i worked for 4 days to the left without paying exploitation. human trafficking slaves like labor reports because when i think code used to be where we are today, all because of profits, it makes me say something or can show on your affluence is just opposed with abject poverty. so when you see this, you must stop. it looks to be the, the town of echo ne, in northeastern france, the center of the world's name as champagne industry says, display avenue. just,

i'm sonya levin and she'll find them. it is, most of the big brands are here. robert schmidt, stephanie videos, and he's shaka nice belonged to an international collective of journalists there in jim piney over the harvest season to investigate what's behind the industry's glamorous facade. so the fancy buildings, well, it's clearly affluent. many of the major champagne grants are backed by large corporations, luxury conglomerates and investors. business is booming in 2020, to the industry, so record turnover of more than 6000000000 euros to maintain these profits. someone 100000 seasonal workers are needed for the great harvest. every year they go to look at the crates and they've with us the level where they put the groups as well . i'm assuming yes is supported by journalism funds, europe. the reporters are researching

a story they hope to publish in german and french media, investigating whether there's illegal exploitation and human trafficking image champagne industry. students how they work, they do is very strenuous, allegedly, some people aren't adequately paid the most what back will make them up to the board up there for in cases of people house and terrible conditions. visual, of course, this isn't the norm, but it does happen. but as really to me yet, we want to see exactly what's going on and what sort of tasking. excuse, plastic victim. yeah. because because you only lots of people who come here from eastern europe, africa and asia don't know their rights. she couldn't spell it. and sometimes if they don't dare defend themselves against abuses, say that because i'm or if you g, i knew i, i've seen your situation as the do not have a sibling time and that's why they are ready to do any kind of job. then i'll throw photographer as you'll notice that i would like to tell you the story. the

reporters have no idea that this harvest season will mark a milestone with hundreds of new cases of exploitation and human traffic and coming to light to begin and they want to find out more about the actual grape harvest. on the bay, not families, champagne estate. the worst day begins before dawn. don't go on with me shelby now married a wine maker 30 years ago. she helped out in the kitchen during harvest season. these days it's a thriving family business, and she's in charge of the great picking teams to seek to use. the hard list is hard work. the press has to be fed. grapes have to be picked off please. no one is here to sit around to see the show they want to harvest, harvest harvest factor. yes. the polish workers are already waiting outside.

they're directly employed by the family and live here on the grounds. and there are 9 of them here. so there are 14 others and another building time with awesome. everyone prepares their lunch here to take to the vineyards. this year, the harvest starts in early september, when temperatures can still reach over 40 degrees celsius. as the sun rises, the work begins. each of the harvest workers will take several 100 kilos of grades today. well, me show, make sure there aren't too many leaves in the crates. the reporters ask the workers how they cope with the heat. we finished work earlier because the sun was the burning hours king with the volume for less hours of work it's it hurts but the some of us

take medicine or have a different way for a buck. bang. darya is a student. this is her 2nd hard. the season with a big, not a family. others have been doing it for more than 10 years and take time off from their actual jobs to come. that much one in 10 days it's for fall into it's too much like it's. yeah. you can count on that's much money and 10 days on a good slope. darya can earn more than 150 euros a day. the prospect of a decent wage like this is attractive. many wine growers now outsource the harvesting to service providers that recruit and manage games of for and workers me sure they now prefers to do it all herself. even though it's sometimes hard to communicate with the workers at home because out of the service providers are useful. for instance,

i don't speak any polish and the workers don't speak french speak english, but otherwise we communicate with gestures. so i prefer to have my own teams much, but if you work with a service provider, you need to ask how the people are being accommodated and where come on and under what conditions. the winemaker has seen outsourcing grow over the years as major brands want to maximize profits, but she still stays true to her way. i'm happy there, beautiful grapes. my son can work well with ease college. nearby, her son, shaw is awaiting the harvest. he studied city culture before taking over the state . this is his 3rd harvest season. was my competitor, this is where i take over as soon as the grapes arrive, we start the process and then we make one and it takes 4 tons for one,

load. the young winemaker has plans to improve the vineyard, as according to the law or regulating champagne production, the grapes have to be hand picked to avoid any damage. we want to plant ivy and fruit treats with you can't only think in terms of profit loss with a heat right now when the harvest workers want to take a break. there is no shaking push, so it's a project that's close to my heart. so that's why we have one on one, so it's not necessary, but not everyone has such a whole. some approach domain producers have financial goals to meet and around 2 thirds of the harvest go to the big brands. industry leader l v in age produces more than $70000000.00 bottles a year. so they know as goals are more modest, he's happy with the 70000 bottles there hoping to produce we went out into the cold to prune the vice scott on the tractor to attend to them . it took time and energy,

and in the end we got something great because we won't be drinking this wind for another 4 or 5 years. so you need to bear that in mind too. that there's been no champagne overseen from start to finish by shows will be ready later in 2024. but there's already a reason to celebrate. oh no, we've started the last press. so now we can take a deep breath with a toast to end the day. one of the tables calling you on a to and other day done 14000 kilos picked 1.3 hector was processed. everything went well. well it's just a deficit. so here's, do you know, most of them here's to you all think many one, growers and brands stick to the rules, but there are also some black sheep in the industry back in may. we've heard that people arrive at the station looking for work and the harvest by

investment. they sleep in the park outside and wait for sub contractors to come along and offer them more expensive that are these photos uploaded by hardly anyone here wants to speak out against a sub contractors. finally, someone agrees to talk to us. see true, and are you waiting for? we just bought the 12 by i'm looking for work a deal. are you expecting sub contractors? yes. deals that have you been offered for liaison? yes. but for 50 or 60 years a day or so. i won't do that. it's not enough to support the use of lives. in leon, he's here because he needs the money. we always have you ever had problems before then? yes, 2 or 3 times people came along. i went with one of them, worked for 4 days, and then he left without paying cards and thought so it goes. that's how it works

here. use it is holding out for a decent offer until then. he'll sleep here in the park. back in the vineyards. a team from the powerful french trade union, c g t has come to show solidarity with the workers c g t general secretary sabine delaney is a trained nurse. now she's fighting for the rights of seasonal workers take on to the press. but there's a settlement. there's a code of silence. we don't know how many people are affected by. yeah. for, for maybe it's only a few cases. but even one case is one to many parts without having to sit on the top of the, the front of our job is to make sure that nobody is employed here under slavery like conditions for how you're perform discovered during the harvest season. the c

g t team is in the vineyards every day, speaking with a great pickers. an opponent on it, we're here to talk to the harvest workers and been sick of this and the trouble is they won't talk. they won't say anything of them. they're afraid of losing their jobs. no one talks in the vineyards for her. there's also a language barrier. there we don't mean where do you sleep in terms of thunder, a tar bullen to the english into the longer. so that's the thing or was it the language barrier is a big problem. still we give them the leaflets so they can read them packed and perhaps with the help of some of the french who can explain to them why we're here . pulling it out. if they do have problems, they only come to us after the grape harvest to them when they need more information. the this group of bulgarians also

works for service provider. the fields belong to a large producer, shift the boss, and they've been a problem. if there are problems and here's our phone number. yeah. give us a call. i will answer all your questions. brooklyn was the sound of just call. here's our number. we will answer your questions. i'm good to know. where do you sleep? uh, body body harris. you're going back to paris in the evening here. yes. 100 kilometers on the legally, the workers have to have an 11 hour break between shifts. the union is suspect, this rule isn't to being observed, but the c g t is not an official investigating authority to complete the complicated shift. the boss says he's going to drive 100 kilometers to spend the night somewhere and come back the next day. it will be under the we don't know if it's a 100 kilometers, are more likely only the workers can say to oregon. we can only find out if they're

being cheated. if they come to us, well, we can't just guess what's happening up and you know, to put on a coupon. but it's up to the laborers themselves to report problems the only labor inspectors and police can take action against exploitation and the vineyards. but both declined our interview quest, the the reporters turn to the corporation of champagne. one, growers which comprises several 1000 medium sized wine growers. joseph gunnar, thanks for seeing us. versus of course please don't panic, the winemaker himself and has been active in the association for years where we need to, we don't play out. we bring the wine growers together and host events where various

issues are flagged, such as working conditions, social issues, and other official matters are a nice lot safe guess. cool. what can you tell us about service providers? i don't know if it's, well, there are lots of small businesses and shop on your with us on the front. it's sometimes hard for them to find workers a key. ok. and it's becoming increasingly difficult to recruits people locally. that's why we've seen an increase in outsourcing and recent years. go to tell us the process, you know, for the repair to because we provide information on this on and communicate stroke . if it does the ssl that you have to go about and when you work with a service provider, you have to follow certain rules and make sure you check everything on the site is an order. so you guys strongly speak the the core dice. victory. april is the awareness of the conditions people work in the show. it seems the same problems arise year after year on any they're supposed to, i wouldn't say every year and one of the great harvest is

a lucrative business. it's all, it's, you know, model. and unfortunately, the trucks, sometimes dishonest people made their fortunately, but it was more to live. okay. after we finish filming the wine makers present several proposals. there is to be more accommodation for workers. the work should be better organized and above all stricter rules should apply to the service providers. whether this will actually come to be remains to be seen shows a blown go, has worked in the champagne industry for 36 years. today. he's a trade unionist and tackles the exploitation of workers by sub contractors. he starts work early. when one foxes, most of them aren't even earning a 100 zeros a day. they get between 40 and 50 years. that's below the going rate. is always the over the years and entire system has evolved here with the support of the

industry. and the authorities simply look the other way. you tell me these are 2 minutes. no one will be happy that we're digging around. these reports to the book we're going to, you know, start off to look for. well, you can see that van over there. it's just arrive when i get an opportunity that will feel the people are watching subsidy. they know we're here in the course of his campaign against exploitation shows. they has met the minister of labor and been in touch with the local politicians about visiting the vineyards. this work makes them a target. tea and the reporters are clearly under observation. it's a french license plates, a local one. what is this guy want me that he's only watching us. yes, the he's on the phone. keep an eye on all the time. shows

a is undeterred. he knows that some of the sub contractors come to this car park to recruit workers. i'm going to wait. you can see the buses arriving here from various places and also from parents that definitely and dropping people off looking for work in the vineyards. the so the no one dropped off here stays with the wind growers. otherwise they'd be taken directly to the vineyards in don't coast that. ok. that's a long commute. natalia post, absolutely. some of been traveling for 2 hours. now they're waiting to see where they will be said. joseph long ago was convinced that some of the subcontractors are part of organized criminal networks. okay, the best sense, so there are people orchestrating it all the video. oh yeah. and it's a team leader, so to speak. and the supervisor is full or this,

shall we go over and talk to them, you know, call me most, but i'd rather not easy for them. it's all well organized and secret is totally get you. so i'm worried about my safety a recent case showed that criminal activity does indeed exist after seasonal workers reported a sub contractor network. the service provider was convicted of human trafficking in 2022 of the stuff assessing indifferent to this is one of the photos published in the local press it over here . you can see workers sleeping on mattresses on the floor. excellent. so they might know most of them were asylum seekers and putting them on to that. in real time, the journalist is shot. a nice knows how powerless people can feel. in such

situations. he fled from afghanistan, defense himself after being in touch with one of the seasonal workers from the court case for a while. you shocked me some for an interview in paris. c for to an advisor is also from afghanistan. this is the 1st time since the ruling that he's speaking publicly about, the criminal network that exploited in india. both the we were told that we'd have a room for 2 people who knew that everything was clean and tidy and that there would be food fox news. and when we got there everything was different. but there was only one big room, add ons, no beds, and no mattress. it's i never pushed back whenever we slept on the floor. you've got that number and you didn't sign any contracts that when we applied for the job they didn't give us a contract number. i worked for 5 days without a contract, but then i told them if you don't give me a contract,

i won't work here anymore. because that's why i called the police it, i mean, the police commission. okay. tell me more about the working conditions kind of thing that the work was very hard. we worked until just before midnight in the morning we got up around 5 or 6 was like they were 36 people in one room. there was only one toilet fast enough, but within that, the user these days, if i to live that cfo has a job with a proper contract in paris, his statements resulted in the biggest case of human trafficking and champagne year to date many of the of gun workers were represented by a lawyer based in the city of loans. bullshit, marshall used to take part in the great harvest as a student himself, a lot has changed since then. not known as eustace. nobody's reached. the cord is

right in the middle of the region. they own, you know, and now it's also dealing with this industries in activity they couldn't measure. it's a major economic factor here, which, you know, that is going to be that cool, but we weren't used to dealing with it in a criminal court. the no casa, and then we heard a case that turned out to be huge. mike slipped through, natalie. the lawyer agrees to talk about it. he says that even now, more than a year after the ruling, many questions remain unanswered. dates on politics. it's, you know, it was an extraordinary trial and more fully spend one point in your but in terms of the outcome, it was extremely frustrating. the next 10 1st ice, you just a moment was able, the verdict was frustrating or visual 9 going on. the don't jump on uh, we saw a very large champagne brand that outsourced to a sub contractor, which in turn notes sourced to another sub contractor. uh,

i knew what the price was. he did potential on sale. he's the court looked at the 2nd and 3rd levels to create the books reading the bible, but at the top of the pyramid, old lived with someone who was supposed to supervise the grape harvest. on behalf of the big champagne brand, we live on the ocean. this person slipped through the nat 29th is let's look sort of, we do get the impression that an industry and some important players were being protected like the measure. next, whether there's some vanya odds and regions is relies to a large extent on wind growing like that. now, the best on patient don't think of the fuzzy know, you can't help thinking the case targeted. the people doing, the enforcing. usually the whole not those giving the orders me up and while doing all this, of course, does not apply to the whole industry, but evidence against them. sub contractors is piling up back in the vineyard. this

young man who works for a subcontractor of a major champagne producer wants to remain anonymous. i'm too afraid of his statement. sounds familiar. i received no contact from all nothings. and what once it bolted most, diesel, the one in the room for the little cuz sometimes who gets along sometimes with the list. some guy in good faith like 400 zeros for workings, 10 days. you live in this for the same guy, you're working for a for another. the same day when i got all the reporters here, similar accounts over the following days. the image of sean han yet has been tarnished, says trade unionists shows a blanco. it's high time to stop exploitative sub contractors. he says in the interest of big brands as rival products, such as a tally and pros. seco are becoming more popular with us,

possibly legal for you. we hope that the employers, especially the main brands, will sit down together and put an end to this, to these people. all right? the software for the, for the sake of the image and the future of champagne. what i don't know who the point we're fighting for our jobs. our industry for our region utilize, you know, call your shows a blonde go, was born and jump on you and worked in the industry for decades. his own son works in the vineyards during the harvest. he maintains, there's been systematic exploitation for a long time. inadequate accommodation for workers is one issue over another camp, semi illegal, loaded on. yeah. last year they put me labels on the dungeon winds just now this year. there are stickers for separated trash cancer subsidies, which means they've been provided by the municipality over the past on a to morning. that means every one of the may or the unit suppose so c,

h from and the municipality. and so in fact, tensor officially forbidden in this part of champ, anya, yet illegal comes, can be found all along the roadside up in the forest. the conditions are especially shocking and informative tools. just say together with a colleague noel's don't say, let's just say wants to see for himself. know where. yeah, that looks like a bench and table problems, resolutely unconditioned steps to. so it's a proper account. there was a camp here, but now everyone's gone. looks good with the completed on you to camp they're looking for is believe to be further north west before i think we have to go past the vineyard. all right, let's go through. what did they find? what they're looking for at the edge of the forest makes shift tens. no toilet, no water connection. multiple plugs in wet grass shows a is outraged problem,

so she's running or even after a long day in the vineyard is in the rain. imagine coming back in the evening to conditions like this, with catastrophic motion. is there a wild boars? and these, for the most part, i can just see them dropping by in the evening. this will get all the way. it also looks like there are children living here. suddenly a woman appears with her daughter. they don't want to be filmed way. okay, that's okay. we want from what's the boss is name? i don't know. we've only been here for 2 or 3 days. big is everything. okay. my husband is going to work and i'm here with my daughter. do you work in the vineyards too? yes. well, the min wage, stephanie listens to the woman's story. a to z. let them any. she's from romania. she came here with her husband and the rest of

her family or somebody and they were promised the proper accommodation with the toilet. but when they arrive on x, there was nothing here. you don't have to do to of the 2 days or the 2 that's human trafficking. absolutely. it's human traffic. i'll call the labor department and that's how it works. and trump on you. that's how it works here. we condemn it, and i'll put this isn't about the union. this is about these people, not cities, or wherever they are from their human beings. we can't allow this to happen though . it has to stop to be something after we finish filming the reporters, the footage of people in catastrophic accommodation given in edible food. it's clear that these are no isolated cases. by the end of the season, hundreds of new victims of modern slavery have been discovered with ongoing investigations into unpaid wages, totaling millions and 2 new cases of human trafficking. a sorry indictment of one

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