On December 12, the Franco-German television channel Arte released a report investigating the working conditions of harvest workers in the Champagne region. It had already made headlines during the harvest for its luxury sparkling wine, partly because five workers died. The Arte report shows images that go beyond the appalling accommodation conditions that had become public at the time.
The reporters, together with union representatives, discovered tent camps of workers in the forest. In some cases, even the French minimum wage was not paid. The report itself emphasizes that it uncovered individual cases and that many harvest workers are treated correctly. However, it still sees a structural problem in Champagne, where service companies often employ and organize the harvest workers. This delegation of responsibility by the wineries leads to the grievances. Additionally, there is a failure of control by the local authorities.
The Comité Champagne commented clearly: "After viewing the documentary aired on Arte, it is clear that the situations described do not represent the image of our industry and the commitment of the vast majority of Champagne producers. We strongly condemn the unspeakable practices and behaviors denounced in the report." Moreover, representatives of the Champagne winemakers and houses announced swift action. “The measures announced in mid-October will be concretized before the next harvest, and several projects, such as the Charter for the Care of Service Providers and tools for social transparency, are already in the finalization stage." CG/MS
