The regulations against abuse among slaughterhouse staff, which were tightened during the corona pandemic, remain in force. Several constitutional complaints from affected companies were unsuccessful, as the Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe announced on Wednesday. Accordingly, the six lawsuits from a sausage manufacturer and various temporary employment agencies were not even accepted for a decision – the justification in each case did not meet the requirements. (Az. 1 BvR 2888/20, etc.) The reason for the tightening was several major corona outbreaks in slaughterhouses in the first year of the pandemic. They once again highlighted the working conditions in the industry. Politicians reacted with a new Occupational Health and Safety Control Act. Since January 2021, the use of subcontractors with predominantly Eastern European low-wage workers for slaughtering, cutting and meat processing has been prohibited. Temporary work has only been possible to a limited extent since April 2021 and is to be completely prohibited after a three-year transition period. There is only one exception for smaller craft businesses with a maximum of 49 people. The plaintiffs feel that their professional freedom has been violated. The sausage producer also complained that only the meat industry was affected by the stricter regulations. This unequal treatment is not justified. However, the judges were missing information on how the individual companies would be specifically affected by the new rules. This is a prerequisite for an admissible constitutional complaint.
Slaughterhouses – sausage producer loses in Karlsruhe – economy
