The National Police arrested in Valladolid an entrepreneur in the agricultural sector as the alleged perpetrator of exploit illegal aliens as field workers and make them work days of more than ten hours a day from Monday to Sunday.
As police sources explained this Sunday, following the information received and thanks to the collaboration with the Labor and Social Security Inspectorate of Valladolid, an investigation was opened during which a Spanish businessman, dedicated to the exploitation of agricultural properties, has been detected. on behalf of third parties, supply of labor for agricultural work.
The national police confirmed the existence of at least four workers in a situation of need and vulnerabilityd that they were allegedly exploited at work by the detained businessman.
As part of a joint inspection action with the Provincial Labor and Social Security Inspectorate of Valladolid, five workers were located on the detainee’s agricultural properties in an irregular administrative situation and in “abusive conditions that border on semi-slavery.
The working conditions imposed on the victims consisted of days of more than ten hours per day from Monday to Sundaywithout the right to breaks or days off. The people concerned were forced to work even if they were sick, without an employment contract, registered with Social Security and working for a salary of 7 euros per hour.
This agricultural entrepreneur had as his workforce foreign workers in an irregular administrative situation, who deceived with false promises of employment contract long term which would allow them to regulate their situation in Spain and which was never made official, despite the fact that the foreign workers had been providing services to the detainee for several years.
The exploited people are foreign citizens in particularly vulnerable situations. Their administrative situation does not allow them to access the job market and they also have dependent family members who are economically dependent on them, which is why they are forced to accept the abusive and disproportionate working conditions that are imposed on them.
The arrested businessman also provided them with accommodation and transportation to the countryside, and had to give them different amounts of money as compensation. I deducted 200 euros per month per person for having accommodated them in dilapidated, unsanitary, damp, insect-infested accommodation lacking hot water and heating, amounting to overnight stay for up to 15 people in high season.
Additionally, they deducted 2.50 euros per day per person for transportation. Despite the fact that it was a negligible salary and, due to the lack of compulsory contributions and taxes, the businessman increased his personal profit exponentially, he was not able to pay the daily workers what they were owed, because they had not been paid for expenses related to running the business. business for several months. The so-called employment contract that the employer was going to provide them to resolve their situation in Spain. The police operation, called Bacchus, resulted in the arrest of the person indicted.
