Virgin Atlantic’s Dirty Secret
The Exploited Prison Labour Behind “Sustainable” Headsets – Modern Slavery Behind Bars
In prisons across England, men are working for as little as 62p an hour. They are not free to leave. They do not have the right to refuse, and when they speak out or organise, they face punishment. This is not rehabilitation — it is exploitation. And it’s happening to benefit major private corporations like Virgin Atlantic.*
In the bleak wings of HMP Swaleside, imprisoned men spend up to 20 hours a week refurbishing used airline headsets for just over £11 a week. They must stand throughout these shifts, cleaning, repairing, and repackaging thousands of headphones each week — not for the good of society, not as part of any meaningful skill-building programme, but so that Virgin Atlantic can cut costs and burnish its image as a “sustainable” airline.
This is not some abstract critique. It is a lived reality, described directly by members of the Incarcerated Workers Organising Committee (IWOC) inside Swaleside:
“Virgin Atlantic are also in the prison. So them headphones you get on the flights, the cheap ones, after a flight they get bagged and sent here. We have to de-tangle them, put new earmuffs on, check them and re-wrap them… You have to stand for the whole two hours while you’re there. The pay is £1.25 in the morning and afternoon so £2.50 for 4 and half hours.”
“So, you think making us stand in a workshop for 2 hours in morning and afternoon for about £3-4 is rehabilitation? It is so funny these big companies making millions off slave trade once again.”
“Activities” Not Jobs – The Language of Control
The government calls it “rehabilitation.” The prison’s official policy refers to the work as “activities,” not “jobs.” In a document obtained via Freedom of Information (FOI) request, HMP Swaleside makes it clear that this semantic sleight of hand is no accident:
“Jobs within HMP Swaleside are referred to as ‘activities’… The money that men receive while attending activities is considered an incentive… and is not to be considered a wage.”
This doublespeak is a calculated move. By redefining labour as something other than “work,” the prison system attempts to strip imprisoned workers of even the most basic rights and protections. It denies them the dignity of being recognised as workers, all while profiting from their forced activity.
The FOI also confirmed that in April 2025, 23 men were working in the headphones workshop, with capacity for 31. These men were responsible for refurbishing between 400 and 700 headsets per session — meaning up to 6,300 headsets a week were being cleaned, repaired and reassembled for Virgin Atlantic through the prison-industrial supply chain.
The pay? £1.25 per session, or about 62p an hour. One of the lowest rates in the entire prison.
MNH and Virgin Atlantic: Profiting From Captivity
The company directly overseeing the work is MNH Sustainable Cabin Services, also known as ROTIX. MNH boasts of working with “many of the world’s largest airlines,” providing “cost-neutral” headset refurbishment. According to their own case study, Virgin Atlantic has been using their services for over 15 years to reduce landfill waste and save money.
Nowhere in their polished reports do MNH mention that these cost savings are generated through prison labour — that the people doing this work are not employees but incarcerated workers, denied fair wages, rights, and any real choice.
Instead, MNH frames its prison partnership as a form of corporate charity, claiming to provide “meaningful employment and rehabilitation for deserving sectors of the community.” This is marketing gloss designed to obscure what’s really going on: exploitation hidden beneath the language of sustainability and social responsibility.
The Greenwash of Exploitation
Virgin Atlantic, in its bid to appeal to climate-conscious consumers, promotes its headset refurbishment scheme as part of a broader “sustainability” agenda. In truth, prisoners — men with little choice, working for a pittance — are the ones making this greenwashed illusion possible.
Virgin Atlantic and MNH are not just saving headsets from landfill; they are saving money on the backs of the incarcerated. With the Virgin Group earning over £16 billion annually, the fact that it relies on a labour pool paid less than £1 an hour is not just an outrage — it’s a modern-day scandal.
Anyone flying with Virgin Atlantic today might believe they are choosing a more ethical or sustainable travel option. The truth? You are benefiting from forced, underpaid labour. Your flight comfort is built on the exploitation of prisoners.
This Is Prison Slavery… And It Must End.
The IWOC and broader prison abolitionist movement are calling for a boycott of Virgin Atlantic and the Virgin Group. These companies cannot be allowed to profit in silence from the misery and confinement of incarcerated workers.
Let us be clear: Work is work, whether inside a prison or outside it. Prisoners are workers, and they deserve fair pay, dignity, and the right to organise. The idea that prison jobs are “rehabilitative” is a fiction — especially when they serve only to enrich private corporations.
Until we abolish the prison system altogether, we must expose and resist every attempt to profit from its cruelty. Boycott Virgin Atlantic. Name and shame MNH. Stand in solidarity with imprisoned workers.
No profits from prison slavery. No sustainability through exploitation.
* Virgin Atlantic were contacted comment on the claims made in this article, but no response was received before publication.
