Scandals in slaughterhouses: the pointed finger work rate – The Point

The L214 animal rights association has uncovered several scandals in slaughterhouses questioned Wednesday before the parliamentary inquiry on the “cadence” imposed on employees of these institutions. “Can we kill at the rate of about one billion animals per year within the rules? At the rate we slaughter animals for meat production, it is far from the case of an individual or abuse of a deficient employee, it is a structural issue, “ruled the president of the association before Antoine Comiti MEPs.

“in different cases that raised employees were easy scapegoats,” added the spokeswoman Brigitte Gothière L214, citing the slaughter of Mauleon in the Pyrenees -Atlantiques, latest scandal with unbearable images of sheep brutalized “these images were taken just before Easter, with a large number of lambs to slaughter and much less staff,” she explained <. / p>

“the unsuitable material”

for her, “the personal is also subject to significant mental and physical suffering”, including musculoskeletal disorders. “We ask them to kill but what is their background? “Did she also asked. Brigitte Gothière also denounced the “unsuitable material” in many slaughterhouses, evoking missed the restraining equipment as Ales (Gard), with slaughters “shear” instead of sliced ​​net shot advocated and “times of awareness on the slaughter line, “when the animals should have been made by insconscients prior stunning.

These findings led L214 to question before the Commission on the effectiveness and efficiency of veterinary services, including the “continued presence” is theoretically imposed by regulations. The problem “is that animal welfare is never a priority over health matters because it has no consequences, except when the cameras are there,” accused Brigitte Gothière pointing also the insufficient number of inspectors and inspections (1 000 posts for nearly 800 slaughterhouses) – counting slaughter poultry and rabbits. “And when there is control, it is rarely acted upon or sanctions” for breaches, she noted, citing a report on this matter to the Court of Auditors in February 2014.

L214 also recommends to “get out the issue of animal welfare within the purview of Ministry of Agricuture” pointing a “conflict of interest” with the tasks of this administration. The parliamentary commission of inquiry “on the slaughtering conditions of animals for slaughter in abattoirs French” was created in response to the scandals revealed by the videos of the association.