According to the European Commission, during the pandemic approximately 31% of employed working-age individuals are key workers in the European Union. However, this data remains highly heterogeneous between the different members. While Denmark and France comprise more than 40% of key workers, Bulgaria and Slovenia count just above 10% of them. On average, 13% of key workers are immigrants in the European Union.
Even though Europe was shut down, these individuals allowed the “8 billion people inhabiting the Earth to be fed, clothed and housed”, divided between transports, health or even security workers, confirms the International Labour Organization. It also admits: “these workers continued to distribute and sell food, to ensure public safety and even cared for and healed the ill”. They were vitals.
Behind the exceptional context, is hidden a not so exceptional and very deplorable reality. In the agricultural sector for example, migrants are indispensable and very much exploited. In 2021, around 270,000 migrants were employed for seasonal harvesting, the wage being so low and unattractive to local workers. In Spain for instance, the explosive transformation of food distribution in the 1990s being now massive, forced the producers to lower their prices and in turn salaries. In addition, Spanish workers’ shift towards slightly better paid jobs increased recruitment of migrants. Nevertheless, the language barrier, misinformation and the lack of written contract provides a general opacity in the system. Besides the wages issues, these jobs require long and physically demanding working shifts. Many consider this as a “modern form of slavery” while the “workers face poor safety and health protocols” as the Foundation for European Progressive Studies says.
As their conditions have been revealed, European countries engaged new policies. The European Parliament seems to focus more on essential workers’ rights. The Parliament admits the need to work on the improvement of social and economic recognition and working conditions. The health, recruitment practices, social dialogues and actions, as well as other specific regulations following the sector are the principal topics that seem to be initiated.
Par Axelle Béclair
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To go further on our May file dedicated to migrations, you can read our Culture and International Relations sections’ articles on our blog.
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