Rights Group Criticizes Meat Plant Conditions

A human rights group sharply criticized the U.S. meat industry and the government for hazardous working conditions at meat plants and accused companies of illegal tactics to suppress employee efforts to report abuses.

In a 175-page report, the group Human Rights Watch said high production speeds and poor training at meat plants put workers at risk.

The meat industry said that many of the report’s allegations were either false or based on old information.

Human Rights Watch, a private organization, recommended new federal and state laws to slow production at meat plants, establish new ergonomic standards to reduce injuries, and new laws to protect immigrant workers.