The media rightly condemned this situation, arguing that it simply should not exist in a civilised society. But while the plight of the strawberry pickers is an extreme example, we should not dismiss it as exceptional. Rather, it is a matter of scale.
And it is young people, who have not yet learned the ropes and realities of the labour market, who experience disproportionate exploitation. I have been quite staggered by what many are prepared to put up with: working hours that most people would find unpalatable, pay that pans out at less than the minimum wage, health and safety conditions on the legal borderline.
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