PODCAST: Fruit pickers and street vendors – migrants' struggle for decent work
The reality of summer work in rural Lleida and the street sellers who set up shop in Barcelona
seasonal workers
Half as many homeless seasonal fruit pickers in western Catalonia this summer
Lleida council rents out 18 reduced priced homes
Seasonal workers in Lleida out of work and trapped due to confinement
Hail and heavy rain has damaged many of the crops they would harvest, and their situation has been made worse by the extra lockdown
Racism accusations as fruit harvesters sleep rough in Lleida
With backdrop of Black Lives Matter, activists and seasonal workers denounce situation happening every year but aggravated by Covid-19
Activist denounces racism of Lleida hotels and landlords refusing to lodge seasonal workers
200 fruit pickers are sleeping rough despite AS Monaco player's offer to pay for their stay in advance
Seasonal fruit pickers adhere to Covid-19 safety recommendations
Protocol to include temperature taking twice a day
Unemployment in Catalonia rises by 4,573 people in November
Unemployment in Catalonia increased by 4,573 people in November and reached 462,969 individuals registered on the lists of the Catalan Public Employment Service (SOC). According to the data released by the Spanish Employment Ministry and Social Security, unemployment saw a 1% rise in monthly terms. This increase in jobseekers is the highest registered in November since 2013. The Catalan Secretary General of Employment, Social Affairs and Families, Josep Ginesta, warned that the reduction of unemployment in Catalonia is “slowing down” due to the dependence on seasonal economic sectors. In this vein, he proposed the reconversion and reindustrialisation of Catalonia to create “more and better” jobs. In annual terms, registered unemployment has decreased, with 58,681 less jobseekers, an 11.25% drop.
Foreigners contributing to Social Security in Catalonia increased by 2.11% over July
The numbers of foreign workers contributing to Social Security in Catalonia reached 400,075 people at the end of July. This figure represents a 2.11% increase compared to a month ago. Seasonal work related to tourism and fruit harvesting caused the number of non-EU workers increase by more than 8,000 people over July.
Working in the hot fields during Ramadan
Each year, thousands of seasonal workers come to Lleida's fields to work picking fruit; most of them are Muslim and thus have to work during Ramadan. They claim that, despite the Ramadan being tough, this year it has been made a little easier thanks to the weather, there is "less heat than last summer" they say.