The European Commission yesterday presented guidelines to ensure the protection of seasonal overseas workers in the EU within the context of the coronavirus pandemic.
Photo: jepoirrier / Creative Commons Licence: CC BY-SA
It specifically guides national authorities, labour inspectorates and social partners to guarantee the rights and health and safety of seasonal workers and to ensure said seasonal workers are aware of such rights.
Cross-border seasonal workers enjoy many rights, but given the temporary nature of their work, they can be more vulnerable to precarious working and living conditions.
Nicolas Schmit, the Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, said: “Each year, hundreds of thousands of seasonal workers help to underpin hugely important sectors of the EU's economy, such as food and agriculture.
“The coronavirus pandemic has shone a light on the challenging living and working conditions they face. This has to be addressed. Our guidelines are a wake-up call to the Member States and companies to ensure they are fulfilling their duties to protect indispensable, yet vulnerable, workers.”
While the Commission themselves monitor the proper application of Union rules concerning such workers, the ultimate responsibility for their proper usage falls on national authorities. Because of this, the EU feels appropriate actions are necessary:
The guidelines are as thus:
- The right of seasonal workers to work in an EU Member State regardless of whether they are EU nationals or come from countries outside the EU
- Suitable living and working conditions, including physical distancing and appropriate hygiene measures
- Clear communication to workers of their rights
- Undeclared work
- Social security aspects
The EC is using these guidelines call on national authorities and social partners to make a renewed effort in fulfilling their role of ensuring the proper application and enforcement of these rights. They include concrete recommendations and suggestions on activities to be undertaken at national or EU level, such as:
- Calling on Member States to take necessary measures to ensure decent working and living conditions for seasonal workers
- Calling on Member States to raise awareness on Occupational Safety and Health requirements affecting seasonal workers, helping employers implement the relevant legal requirements and providing clear information to workers in a language they understand
- Inviting Members states to provide practical guidance to smaller companies
- Asking Member States to strengthen field inspections to ensure the proper application of the OSH rules for seasonal workers
In total, more than 17.6 million EU citizens live or work in another EU Member State other than that of their nationality.
Certain sectors of the EU economy, in particular, the agri-food and tourism sectors depend on support from seasonal workers from both EU non-EU countries for specific periods of the year.
The Commission itself estimates that the average number of active seasonal workers ranged from several hundred thousand to a few million.
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