Citrus entrepreneurs have raised the alarm: they are not finding the necessary number of pickers for the current citrus season. Sources from the provincial orange sector who prefer to remain anonymous point out that this season will be hampered by serious difficulties in finding enough labourers, and the main temporary work agency (ETT) linked to the citrus sector, Noawork, confirms that "there will be problems to meet the needs of companies this campaign."
This was pointed out by its head Adela Pérez, who said that the campaign will begin "with a shortage of labourers." Although many companies have a good number of pickers with fixed discontinuous contracts, during the campaign, practically all of them need to resort to temporary workers contracted through ETT. And these are the ones that now seem to have vanished.
In fact, about a third of the approximately 14,000 pickers who work in the province during the campaign come from an ETT. In this sense, sources from the provincial exporters association, Asociex, point out that this problem is perhaps not affecting everyone, but "maybe just a given company or a specific area."
Those sources report that the national workforce is not interested in working in this sector, while those of Asociex state that it is possibly in areas with colonies of immigrant pickers, such as the Vall d'Uixó, where the shortage of labourers is most severe.
Going back to their own countries
In this sense, the representative of Noawork affirms that there are groups of foreign workers traditionally linked to the citrus sector, "like Ecuadorians or Romanians, who are going back to their countries of origin." As for people of other nationalities who have also been harvesting oranges in recent years, such as the Pakistanis, "they have moved to other areas; for example, to take part in the grape harvest in France, which has apparently been extended this year."
This was pointed out by its head Adela Pérez, who said that the campaign will begin "with a shortage of labourers." Although many companies have a good number of pickers with fixed discontinuous contracts, during the campaign, practically all of them need to resort to temporary workers contracted through ETT. And these are the ones that now seem to have vanished.
In fact, about a third of the approximately 14,000 pickers who work in the province during the campaign come from an ETT. In this sense, sources from the provincial exporters association, Asociex, point out that this problem is perhaps not affecting everyone, but "maybe just a given company or a specific area."
Those sources report that the national workforce is not interested in working in this sector, while those of Asociex state that it is possibly in areas with colonies of immigrant pickers, such as the Vall d'Uixó, where the shortage of labourers is most severe.
Going back to their own countries
In this sense, the representative of Noawork affirms that there are groups of foreign workers traditionally linked to the citrus sector, "like Ecuadorians or Romanians, who are going back to their countries of origin." As for people of other nationalities who have also been harvesting oranges in recent years, such as the Pakistanis, "they have moved to other areas; for example, to take part in the grape harvest in France, which has apparently been extended this year."
Thus, despite the expected production drop this campaign, agricultural business may soon be suffering from the impact of this shortage. In fact, it almost happened already last year, but the rains that caused damage to the fruit reduced the need for labour.
Facing this situation, Pérez criticises the "legal limitations" for ETTs. "We are unable to process a work permit because it takes between six months and a year," she laments, because this would make it possible to bring people in from other places.
Facing this situation, Pérez criticises the "legal limitations" for ETTs. "We are unable to process a work permit because it takes between six months and a year," she laments, because this would make it possible to bring people in from other places.
Source: elperiodicomeditarraneo.com
