Lidl, the German discount supermarket chain with over 12,600 stores worldwide, has a rap sheet longer than a pissed-up night in Soho. From spying on their own staff to flogging horsemeat as beef, they’ve been knee-deep in controversy for years. This isn’t just a few slip-ups – it’s a pattern of screwing over workers, punters, and even the animals in their supply chain. Let’s drag the raw, unfiltered truth into the light.
Stasi-Level Snooping
In 2008, Lidl got caught spying on their own employees. This wasn’t a half-arsed CCTV setup – it was full-on Stasi-level surveillance. They tracked how often staff went to the loo, noted details about their love lives, and even recorded menstrual cycles. One worker was monitored during break calls, with notes on her finances and friends labelled as “drug users.” It’s not just a privacy breach – it’s a kick in the teeth to basic dignity. Lidl claimed it was to stop shoplifting and spot “abnormal behaviour,” but it’s clear this was a power trip, pure and simple.
Labour Abuses: Shit On From Above
The surveillance was only the start. Lidl has a history of treating workers like dirt. Staff have been forced to work unpaid hours, denied toilet breaks, and searched like they’re smuggling goods. One ex-cashier said she’d go home with wet knickers because she couldn’t leave the till. That’s not just bad management – it’s treating people like livestock. When workers tried to unionise, Lidl shut down stores to avoid the hassle. In 2006, they closed a profitable shop in Calw, Germany, just because a workers’ council was forming. Anti-union? It’s anti-human.
Horsemeat: What’s Really in Your Burger?
In 2013, Lidl got caught up in the horsemeat scandal that hit Europe. Beef products were found laced with horse – some burgers testing at 29% pony. They pulled ten million items off the shelves, leaving customers wondering what they’d been eating. This wasn’t a labelling error – it was a betrayal of trust. You’ve a right to know what’s in your food, and Lidl messed that up royally.
Chicken Shit and Listeria
More recently, Lidl’s been slammed for its animal welfare failings. Investigations revealed chickens supplied to them living in squalor, riddled with disease and injuries. Birds too weak to walk, lying in their own crap, covered in ulcers. One report found 74% of Lidl’s chickens had ulcers from sitting in waste, and 94% of the breast meat showed muscle disease. It’s not just cruel – it’s a health risk. When a Listeria outbreak was linked to a Lidl supplier, it showed their supply chain’s a festering mess.
The Filthy Truth
Lidl’s scandals aren’t isolated incidents – they’re a pattern. Spying on staff, exploiting workers, selling dodgy meat, and ignoring animal suffering – it’s all about profit over people. This isn’t just a supermarket – it’s a machine that grinds up ethics for cheap deals. Time to wake up and stop swallowing this corporate filth, because if we don’t, it’ll keep festering.
Lee Thompson – Founder, The Cummins Accountability Project
Sources:
- The Guardian: German supermarket chain Lidl accused of snooping on staff
- The Guardian: How the horsemeat scandal unfolded – timeline
- Eurogroup for Animals: Lidl’s chicken scandal: a glimpse of the state of animal welfare in the EU