I thought Europe was supposed to have much more worker friendly job policies. Did the job seekers not sign some kind of offer? Is this not somehow a situation where the screwed job seekers should have some leverage or get compensated in some way?

To answer your questions.

Is it disgusting? Yes.

Should you voice your concerns collectively? Probably.

Should the company have exercised better judgement in offering somebody a job they weren't able to see through? Most definitely.

But at the same time, what should a company do if situations change and they can't afford extra workers? Are all of you willing to take even a 5% pay cut to ensure that the workers get their jobs?