The pandemic is casting new light on the exploitative working and living conditions experienced by millions of agricultural workers in Europe. Exploitation, gangmaster practices, underpayment, undeclared work, illegal wage deductions, lack of equal treatment and of sick pay. These are but some of the challenges millions of agricultural workers face nowadays in Europe.
It is time to end exploitation in the sector. It is time to make sure that the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) delivers for farm workers. This is also a clear request of the European Parliament reflected in the Resolution adopted on 19 June.
The upcoming days and weeks will be crucial to define the future of Agriculture in Europe and the CAP can be an effective tool to raise labour standards in the sector. The Parliament is expected to adopt its position on the CAP post-2020 revision at the second plenary session in October. MEPs will have the opportunity to send a strong and clear message against violation of workers’ rights in Agriculture, which is today one of the most precarious and difficult sectors of the economy.
EFFAT’s main demands are the following:
- Ending CAP subsidies for employers not respecting workers’ rights and not complying with applicable working conditions resulting from relevant collective agreements as well as EU and national social and labour law as well as ILO Conventions.
- Mandatory provision of educational and training programmes for agricultural workers.
Read the other EFFAT’s demands in the attached paper here in EN, FR, DE and ES
On this occasion EFFAT will host a virtual meeting on the social dimension of CAP on 13 October 2020 from 14.00 to 16.30 via the online video conference tool Zoom. This webinar will gather experts, Members of the European Parliament and representatives of civil society Organisations.
The event will take place just a few days before the adoption of the European Parliament Report on the CAP post-2020.
Would you like to wish more information regarding this event, please contact Blerina Brucaj (b.brucaj@effat.org) for more information.
