Vijesti ROMI.HR

Južna španjolska regija, koju tradicionalno povezujemo s velikom raznolikošću kultura, hranom, lijepim vremenom, također je i mjesto nekima od najsramotnijih slučajeva kršenja prava radnika u Europi. Masovna poljoprivredna proizvodnja postala je i jednim od najvećih društvenih i ekoloških izazova na jugu.

Takozvano mar de plástico (more plastike), koje se prostire od Adre do Aguadulcea u provinciji Almeria, postao je uobičajeni izraz za ogromnu koncentraciju agroindustrijskih plastenika. Toliko su veliki da ih je lako pronaći i brzim pogledom na Google mapi. Radni uvjeti u većini ovih plastenika su neljudski. Većinu radne snage čine neprijavljeni migranti koji imaju smiješnu plaću i rade u uvjetima koje neki definiraju kao „suvremeno ropstvo“. Posebni izvjestitelj UN-a o ekstremnom siromaštvu i ljudskim pravima, Philip Alston, nedavno je kritizirao španjolske vlasti zbog ignoriranja situacije nakon kratkog posjeta zemlji.

Situacija na jugozapadnoj obali nije puno bolja. Kratki pogled na industriju u Huelvi, glavnom središtu za uzgoj jagoda za europsko tržište, zabrinjava. Nedavni slučajevi sa sezonskim radnicama tamo, od kojih najveći dio radi u poljoprivrednoj industriji, živi u neprihvatljivim uvjetima, izložen je seksualnom zlostavljanju i ne može se vratiti u zemlje podrijetla zbog COVID-19, otkrili su problem nejednakosti spolova koji karakterizira rad na selu.

Nije slučajno da je danas većina seoskih radnica na plantažama jagoda u Huelvi migrantice. Tijekom devedesetih godina sastav zaposlenih u području poljoprivrede bio je ravnomjernije raspoređen po pitanju spola. Nakon 2000. godine dogodio se pomak prema ženama-radnicama, koje dolaze uglavnom iz Maroka, i u manjoj mjeri iz istočne Europe.

Pregovori o radnim dozvolama između poljoprivredne organizacije u Huelvi i marokanskih vlasti bili su dosta specifični. Prioritet u dobivanju radnih dozvola imale su, i nadalje imaju, udane žene ili udovice između 18 i 45 godina, s djecom mlađom od 14 godina. To očito proturječi načelu nediskriminacije u skladu s kojim ugovorno pravo funkcionira u Španjolskoj.

Osim toga, uzimajući u obzir da su ovi radni ugovori vezani uz određenu geografsku lokaciju, radni sektor i poslodavca, radnici su u većoj  mjeri ovisni o svojim šefovima. To povećava vjerojatnost eksploatacije jer legalno boravište u zemlji i odobrenje radnih ugovora u budućnosti isključivo ovise o poslodavcu. Očigledno je da je davanje prednosti mladim majkama kao radnicama strategija za smanjenje vjerojatnosti radnih sukoba. Manje je vjerojatno da će žene koje imaju djecu kod kuće tražiti bolje radne i životne uvjete, ali i poštivanje njihovih ljudskih prava i zaštitu od seksualnog zlostavljanja.

Iako glavni dio sezonskih poslova u Španjolskoj danas obavljaju migranti, također treba skrenuti pažnju na povijesnu prisutnost Romkinja u andaluzijskom ruralnom sektoru. Prema procjenama, 18% svih poljoprivrednih radnika u regiji čine Romi. Prema tradiciji, Romkinje koje žive na selu pomagale su domaćinstvima proizvodnjom i prodajom tekstila, izradom rukotvorina i drugih predmeta. Mnoge su također pomagale svojim kolegama baveći se poljoprivredom i brinući se o životinjama. Ispostavilo se da je ključna njihova uloga uličnih prodavačica i prodavačica na lokalnim tržnicama, koje povezuju lokalnu proizvodnju s trgovačkim centrima u gradovima.

Uključivanje u puno formalnije strukture tržišta rada omogućilo je Romkinjama u Andaluziji pristup širokom spektru poslova. Iako je njihova prisutnost na tržištu rada još uvijek značajno manja od prosjeka, treba uzeti u obzir ovu tendenciju kako se ne bi previše isticala njihova povijesna uloga, u odnosu na trenutnu koja se mijenja. Unatoč tim promjenama, tradicionalne uloge spolova u romskoj kulturi stavljaju Romkinje u ranjiv položaj. Od Romkinja se često očekuje da spajaju nesiguran posao s gotovo isključivom odgovornošću za kućanske poslove i skrb za djecu. Ako ove dvije uloge dođu u sukob, očekuje se da će se usredotočiti na drugu.

S obzirom na gore navedeno, važno je da obilježavanjem Svjetskog dana žena na selu i dalje prepoznajemo ključnu ulogu žena u poljoprivredi, ali uz istodobno rješavanje brojnih problema s kojima se žene suočavaju na radnom mjestu.

According to UN estimates, rural women represent over a third of the world’s total population and 43% of the rural labour force. Their contribution in sustaining entire communities through their work is therefore enormous. The International Day of Rural Women seeks ‘recognition to the decisive role of women in development, food safety and poverty eradication’. In particular, Roma women’s participation in rural work has proven an essential pillar for community development over time.

The southern Spanish region of Andalucía, traditionally associated with a rich variety of culture, food and a splendid weather, is also home to some of the most embarrassing cases of employment rights violations in Europe. Mass agricultural production has become both a huge social and environmental challenge in the south.

The so-called mar de plástico (sea of plastic), stretching from Adra to Aguadulce in the Almería province, has become a common term for an overwhelming concentration of agro-industrial greenhouses. It is so big it can be easily identified with a quick glance on Google Earth.  Working conditions in most of these greenhouses are sub-human. Most of the working force are undocumented immigrants employed for ridiculous salaries in conditions that have led some to define these jobs as ‘modern slavery’. UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights Philippe Alston has recently criticized Spanish authorities for ignoring the situation following a short visit to the country.

The south-west coast is not doing much better either. A brief look at Huelva’s strawberry industry – the main strawberry production centre for the European market - is unsettling. The recent cases of seasonal female workers there, most of them working in the rural sector and living in unacceptable conditions, subject to sexual abuse and unable to return to their countries of origin due to Covid 19, have revealed the dynamics of gender inequality that characterize rural work exploitation.

It is in no way coincidental that today the majority of rural workers in Huelva’s strawberry plantations are immigrant women. Throughout the 90’s, the composition of rural employees was more evenly distributed in terms of gender. After 2000, a shift towards female workers contracted at their country of origin took place, predominantly Moroccan and to a lesser extent Eastern European.

The working permits negotiated between agricultural organizations in Huelva and the Moroccan authorities were pretty specific. Almost exclusive access to these permits was, and continues to be, granted to married or widowed women, between the age of 18-45, with children younger than 14 years of age. This clearly contravenes the non-discrimination principle under which contract laws operate in Spain.

Furthermore, because these contracts are granted under a specific geographical location, working sector and employer, workers are subject to greater levels of dependency from their bosses. This increases the likelihood of exploitative practices as legal permanence in the country and the granting of future contracts depend exclusively on the employer. It is easy to see how the preference for young mothers as workers is a strategy to reduce the prospect of work conflict. Having kids under their care back home, female workers are way less likely to demand not only better working and living conditions, but also basic respect for their human rights and security from sexual abuse.

While the bulk of seasonal rural work in Spain today is undertaken by immigrants, attention should also be paid to the historical presence of Roma women in the Andalusian rural sector. It is estimated that 18% of all agricultural workers in the region are Roma. Traditionally, rural Roma women supported the family household through the production and sale of textiles, hemp and wicker handicrafts and other objects. Many also supported their male counterparts as farmers and took care of animals.  Their role as street vendors and in local markets, connecting agricultural production to the commercial districts in towns and cities, has proven vital.

Today, their incorporation to more formal labour markets structures has allowed Roma women in Andalucía to access a wider variety of jobs. While their presence is still considerably lower than the average, this tendency should be taken into account so as to not over-emphasize their historical role over the current, shifting one. Despite these changes, traditional gender roles in Roma culture place Roma women under increased vulnerability. They are often encouraged to combine precarious employment (whether rural or not) with almost exclusive responsibility for household chores and care-giving. In situations where these two come into conflict, they are usually expected to focus on the latter.

In light of the above, it is important that the International Day of Rural Women continues to recognize the essential role of female participation in agriculture, while actively seeking to visibilise the numerous challenges faced by women in the workplace.