Brussels, 15 June 2021 – Today EFFAT joins the European Labour Authority (ELA)’s campaign “Rights for all seasons” which will run until October 20201 with an action week foreseen between 20-24 September.
The campaign, targeting in particular seasonal workers in the agriculture sector and, to a more limited extend, cross-border workers in food processing, has a threefold objective:
- To increase workers’ awareness of their rights and obligations, and of available advisory and counselling services.
- To support employers complying with their obligations established by national and EU law, and sensitise them on the benefits of respecting them.
- To facilitate coordinated information initiatives between (clusters of Member States of origin and of work, and administrations and social partners.
Building on initiatives already in place in different national contexts, during the campaign ELA will support awareness raising amongst cross-border seasonal workers and employers in the agri-food sector; it will organise capacity building workshops with the involvement of social partners and will coordinate and support concerted and joint inspections targeting seasonal work.
Kristjan Bragason, EFFAT General Secretary, welcomed the inauguration of the campaign saying: ‘Covid-19 has cast new light on some of the long-standing and systemic issues affecting seasonal workers in Europe. This ELA campaign can become an effective tool to support these essential workers after all the terrible hardships they have endured to secure food on our tables during this pandemic. We call on all Member States to engage in this campaign and ensure the active involvement of our affiliates in the design and implementation of the campaign actions at national level. This is key to make this campaign a success’.
Mr. Cosmin Boiangiu, Executive Director of the European Labour Authority, said: “ELA was created to support EU countries and social partners in ensuring that mobile workers and employers benefit from fair working conditions across borders. Seasonal workers are key for important sectors of our economy and their activity was particularly vulnerable to the impact of the Covid19 pandemic. We are happy to start delivering on our mission by supporting them. EU Member States and social partners know that they can count on ELA to raise awareness on rights and obligations and to support the enforcement of EU and national legislation. Fair work is not seasonal.”
EFFAT has encouraged all affiliates to take active part in the campaign and looks forward to playing its part in the action week planned in September.
Join the conversation on social media: #Rights4AllSeasons
Read more:
ELA campaign website
ELA Action Plan on seasonal workers
EFFAT demands for action: Towards inclusion and equal treatment for all mobile and migrant workers
Opinion of the European Social Partners in Agriculture on the European Labour Authority Campaign on Seasonal Work
