Modern slavery exposed: Cambridgeshire workers exploited in McDonald's

The workers, mainly homeless or addicted individuals, endured gruelling shifts, often working between 70 to 100 hours per week. Their "wages" amounted to the right to live in inhumane conditions, cramped in neglected caravans or damp sheds.

At least nine Czechs were affected in the case, forced to work at the McDonald's branch in Caxton. Other individuals, also victims of the scheme, were employed in a pitta factory in Hertfordshire and in north London.

Altogether, the smuggling gang from the Czech Republic exploited 16 people, reaping enormous financial benefits. Although the victims officially received minimum wages, most of their money was taken by the criminals.

The victims lived in tragic conditions, having only a few pounds a day, while their exploiters grew rich, investing in luxury cars, jewellery, and properties in the Czech Republic.

Moreover, McDonald's, despite indications of possible abuses, such as transferring salaries of several employees to one account, ignored these signals. Consequently, the exploitation lasted over four years.

At times, some exploited workers tried to escape to their home countries, but they were found and smuggled back to the United Kingdom, where they were once again forced to work.

It was not until October 2019 that the case came to light, when the victims sought help from the Czech police, which led to the dismantling of the criminal group.

As a result of the investigation and two criminal trials, six members of the Czech human trafficking group were convicted. McDonald's, according to the investigation, paid approximately 215 thousand pounds to the exploited workers for their forced labour period.