The resurgence of discussions around worker protection laws in the UK, spurred by rising workplace temperatures, brings back memories of my years working in a slaughterhouse. There, the source of anguish was not the heat but the overwhelming nature of the work: mechanized killing on a massive scale.
Initially, I had no intention of working in animal slaughter. Fresh out of school with few options, I joined a youth training program to become a butcher.
Mothers’
Due to high unemployment, these programs were in high demand. Within six months, I was reassigned to the abattoir. My first task was to witness a cow being killed—a test of my resolve. The process was far from the swift and clean operation I had envisioned. The cow thrashed violently after its throat was cut, blood pouring from the wound, its eyes filled with terror. Despite my internal reaction, I concealed my feelings as I needed the job.
My first personal experience with killing was a lamb. The memory of feeling nauseous while the lamb cowered remains vivid. I made the mistake of meeting its eyes. Over time, I either witnessed or participated in the deaths of numerous pigs, cows, sheep, and horses.
There were times when dairy cows, too ill or exhausted to walk, were dragged in. Some were pregnant, and we would cut them open to extract the calf. If the calf was healthy, it would return to the farm. If not, we would kill it by slamming its head on the concrete. The expression in those mother cows’ eyes was the closest thing to complete surrender I have ever seen.
Protect
Each animal, an individual, faced its end differently. Some attempted to escape, others cowered, and some fought back.
The UK’s meat industry employs tens of thousands, with around 200 slaughterhouses processing over a billion animals annually. The job is not pursued for wealth; it merely pays the bills, but at a significant personal cost.
Slaughterhouse workers experience depression and anxiety at rates up to 50% higher than the general population. Coping mechanisms range from dark humor to substance abuse. The work environment is rife with bullying and physical altercations, and the labor is physically demanding, with frequent injuries from fractures to electrocutions. A 2025 raid at a Manchester slaughterhouse revealed ‘modern slavery,’ with one worker living just meters from where animals were killed.
Britain’s worker protection laws are based on the principle that employers should foresee and prevent harm to employees, safeguarding their health, including mental well-being.
Perpetration
However, slaughterhouses require workers to perform tasks that psychologists often associate with trauma, stress, and emotional desensitization. If the job itself is the source of harm, how can employers genuinely adhere to these laws?
In the absence of support, workers find their own ways to cope. I turned to alcohol to manage my growing aggression. I also heard that some coworkers resorted to domestic violence.
