photo by John Perivolaris (Dr John2005 on Flickr CC)
This raises the spectre of de facto state sanctioning of slavery in 21st century Europe.
–Anti-Slavery International’s director, Aidan McQuade
Illegal aliens, mostly from Africa, work in slave-like conditions in industrial greenhouses on the Spanish Costa del Sol. The Spanish authorities and agricultural industry have been found to be working in cooperation to exploit desperate immigrant workers.
According to a special investigative report by the Guardian, workers live in appalling conditions with inadequate housing, no sanitation and so little food they often depend on parcels from the Red Cross. Their employers also strictly control the workers’ movements and behavior. The surplus of labor caused by the recent economic downturn has enabled farmers to slash wages to illegal immigrant workers by more than 50%.
From the Guardian:
Charities working with illegal workers during this year’s harvest claim the abuses meet the UN’s official definition of modern-day slavery, with some workers having their pay withheld for complaining. Conditions appear to have deteriorated further as the collapse of the Spanish property boom has driven thousands of migrants from construction to horticulture to look for work.
Spain’s greenhouse vegetable industry supplies produce to northern European countries whose populations have grown accustomed to eating fresh salad year round.
Read the entire article in the Guardian and watch the following video report entitled “The Cost of Salad” for more:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/video/2011/feb/07/food-spain-migrants
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