The Somerset festival has faced criticism for allegedly firing as many as 700 workers.

Glastonbury Festival has been accused of exploiting hundreds of European workers on zero hours contracts.

According to The Independent, organizers employed hundreds of people from across the continent to work as litter pickers. The workers  – who had travelled from countries including Czech Republic and Poland – are said to have been guaranteed two weeks of paid employment cleaning up the site.

However, after just two days of work, 75% of these employees – up to 700 in total – were let go because there was less rubbish than expected, thanks in part to the good weather and the presence of volunteer rubbish collectors already on-site.

The Independent is claiming the workers were left “stranded and out of pocket in the Somerset countryside”. Video footage obtained by the paper shows the workers asking to be fed, while one supervisor can allegedly be heard saying: “Everyone is on a zero hours contract. We have no commitment to feed these people, they’re on paid jobs, their job is over.”

One employee, Simon Kadlcak from the Czech Republic, recalled how there were “people without work still sleeping in tents” because they were expecting two weeks of work and had nowhere to go.

The accusations follow an empowering speech from Jeremy Corbyn on the Pyramid Stage that stressed the importance of workers’ rights.

FACT reached out to Glastonbury for comment, but were told the festival will not be commenting on the accusations.

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