A Moroccan agricultural union has called for stronger protections for seasonal workers in Spain after the death of a Moroccan farm worker employed in the strawberry fields of Huelva.
The Women’s Committee of the Agricultural Sector, affiliated with the Moroccan Labor Union (UMT), said the worker died last weekend after suffering heatstroke during a period of extreme temperatures.
The organization noted that another Moroccan seasonal worker died under similar circumstances in 2019.
In a statement, the committee condemned what it described as unacceptable working and housing conditions in Huelva’s agricultural sector and urged Moroccan authorities to work with their Spanish counterparts to ensure compliance with labor regulations and international conventions protecting workers’ rights.
The group called on Morocco’s Ministry of Economic Inclusion, Small Business, Employment and Skills, as well as the National Agency for the Promotion of Employment and Skills (ANAPEC), to strengthen oversight of recruitment programs and prevent further incidents.
Khadija Ghamri, secretary general of the committee, said Moroccan workers in Huelva often face overcrowded accommodation, inadequate sanitation facilities and restrictions on union activity.
The latest incident comes as thousands of Moroccan women continue to travel annually to Spain under temporary labor schemes that supply workers to the country’s fruit and vegetable sector.
The committee said it recently conducted field visits with a Spanish labor organization and intends to continue monitoring conditions in agricultural operations employing Moroccan seasonal workers.
It argued that improving labor protections and economic opportunities at home would help reduce the vulnerability that drives many rural women to seek employment abroad.
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