The Agricultural Association of Young Farmers (Asociacion Agraria Jovenes Agricultores – Asaja) and the Confederacion Sindical de Comisiones Obreras (CC.OO.) have expressed their opinion against restricting the Romanian workers’ access to the Spanish labour market, Mediafax informs. Farmers complain that the crops are endangered by this measure, while union members consider that the measure will favour the underground economy. ‘ABC’ wrote on Wednesday that Asaja has asked the government to ease and accelerate the bureaucratic procedures needed for Romanian citizens to obtain work permits.
“Businessmen state it is impossible to foresee the exact date on which the crops will be harvested and that, given the nature of agricultural products, the problem has to be solved in a matter of hours, not days,” the Spanish daily writes, adding that numerous Romanian citizens arrive in the Casilla La Manch region at this time of year looking for a job in harvesting the crop.
The organization has asked Spanish authorities to take into account the fact that agricultural producers are experiencing one of the most difficult economic periods in history and insisted on the need for local government authorities to issue work permits, “to accelerate bureaucracy and to exert efforts so that the harvesting campaign will take place in normal conditions.”
