National police have arrested the owner of a fruit and vegetable farmer in Murcia, accused of the labour exploitation of migrant workers.
The agricultural employer is said to have paid his employees just 150 euros per fortnight worked, as long as they met the objectives that he set for them – the man usually claiming they had not carried out sufficient work for the full salary. The working day often exceeded 12 hours a day and the pay varied according to whether or not the worker was considered ‘legal’ in Spain.
The workers were controlled and monitored at all times. According to investigators of the National Police, employees had to request permission even to go to the bathroom. And even then, the bathroom was in deplorable condition, failing to comply with even the most basic health measures.
The man transported his workers in a van without seats and crowded in the back next to the merchandise, sometimes cramming up to 13 people into the van without respecting any of the health recommendations for COVID-19.
One of the employees suffered an accident with a forklift and, at the time of being attended to by the doctor, the employer claimed that the worker had been run over by a car while riding a bicycle.
In addition, according to the statements taken by police from several of the exploited workers, the boss forced them to work despite suffering injuries during working hours. It was common to suffer cuts with knives and, depending on the severity of the injury, the worker could either bandage the cut and continue working or go home with no pay.
Following an investigation, the National Police arrested the man red-handed as he was transporting seven of his workers in the back of a truck with no seats or seatbelts. The investigation had previously discovered that the man sometimes put up to 13 people inside.
The Police investigation also led the judicial authority to order the precautionary closure of the company’s two industrial buildings and the blocking of the bank account of the man. The arrested man, a 53-year-old, was arrested and charged with crimes against workers’ rights, irregular immigration and illegal trafficking of labour.