US poultry workers, denied bathroom breaks, are forced to wear nappies: Oxfam

Poultry workers in the United States are routinely denied bathroom breaks to the point of being forced to wear nappies while on the production line, a new report claims.

The “vast majority” of 250,000 workers in the sector are mocked, ignored or threatened with being fired when they ask to go to the bathroom, Oxfam America said in the study.

“Workers struggle to cope with this denial of a basic human need. They urinate and defecate while standing on the line; they wear diapers to work,” said the report, released this week.

The US arm of the global anti-poverty charity added that workers would take on dangerously low levels of liquids, enduring pain and discomfort while risking serious health problems.

The group quoted anonymous workers at Tyson Foods, Perdue Farms, Pilgrim’s Pride and Sanderson Farms, which between them have 100,000 workers and account for 60 per cent of the sector.

Tyson, one of the biggest poultry firms in the world, said in a statement it would “not tolerate the denial of requests to use the bathroom” in its factories.

“We’re concerned about these anonymous claims and while we currently have no evidence they’re true, are checking to make sure our position on restroom breaks is being followed,” it said.