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Information and advice desks for temporary immigrants in the agricultural campaigns of Aragon. 1992-2002
  Introduction:

In Aragon, annually between the months of May to October it's launched the agricultural campaign for which there is scarcely autochthon workers. The workers that go traditionally to these jobs are immigrants.

To quantify the number of temporary foreigners that work, live, or move across the cities of Aragon is still more difficult than quantify the stable immigrants because it depends above all on the evolution of the agriculture productions and mainly fruit and vegetable. The estimations are between 7000 and 9000 people.
  Description of the problem:

In spite of the lack of autochthon labour force for the field works, the number of immigrants that go to these works are more than who will be finally contracted. We can add to this problem, the lack of enough infrastructure in the rural areas to tackle with the extra population.
  Description of the solution:

From this programme we try to mediate in order that only the personnel needed go to each area. To achieve this aim, some information desks are working on the reference places for the farming campaign: a central office at the Train Station of Zaragoza, and mobile offices at the trade union headquarters in the rural areas, or at the City councils.

These offices have a purpose of co-ordinating with the agricultural businessmen and the city councils, in order to know the work posts and the services offered to the immigrants in each city. Another function is the awareness raising of the businessmen to get they offer work posts in legal labour conditions, according to the sectoral agreements and respecting the workers' rights and housing in good conditions.

These desks offer too legal support to businessmen for the preparation of work contracts, including the proceedings with the Employment Offices and the Ministry of Work.

When it's not possible to find a specific number of houses for the workers in a concrete area of agricultural work, it's established a buses service from Zaragoza or subprovinces heads for the daily transport (this service is paid by UGT and the workers pay the money back after receiving the first salaries).

UGT negotiates weekly Social Security quotas.

In areas like Cariñena there is a stable office at the city council during all the year for the preparation of the wine campaign.

Another programme mission is to watch over the respect to the legality so when irregularities are detected: mafias, non-legal camps etc, it's made an official complaint to the Court.

It's kept on eye that minors don't work and when possible children's care services are launched in collaboration with the Minors' Service of the regional government.
  Impact and results:

The programme users are agricultural businessmen by one hand and immigrants - agricultural workers by the other.

The number of users farming businessmen for the period 92-01 have been 2169 people. The number of users increase around 10% annually. In 1992 there were 80 users and in 2001 there have been 797.

The number of immigrants that have accessed to the programme during these 10 years have grown (increases of 30% annually). So in 1992, 374 immigrants were supported, and in 2001 they have been 11500.

The total number of users during this period have been 31737.

 

 
  Practical considerations :

The resources needed for the year 2001 have been 54091 Eur. The sources of financing have been the Regional Government, the Province Administration of Zaragoza and UGT

The staff needed to manage the programme are the following: 4 medium level technicians, 1 administrative, and voluntaries.

IF YOU WISH ANY FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT TO:

UGT Aragón.

Calle Costa, 1-3ô planta.
50001 Zaragoza
Tels. 976 70 01 00 - 976 70 01 10
Fax. 976 70 01 01
ugt@aragon.ugt.org