Strawberry harvest is booming: seasonal workers demand better wages and conditions!

Strawberry harvest is booming: seasonal workers demand better wages and conditions!

in Werschen, one of the numerous agricultural centers in Germany, prevails in the sunshine. Here farmers, such as Martin Beck, employ around 20 harvesters who work in different fields. Beck emphasizes the importance of fair payment because experienced employees earn between 17 and 18 euros gross per hour. He explains that the statutory minimum wage, which is currently 12.41 euros, is not enough to make the work profitable. Most of the seasonal workers are Polish women who live in rented apartments near the farm.

The attractiveness of the seasonal work is also underpinned by the fact that 243,000 seasonal workers were employed in German agriculture in 2023 alone. These workforce are primarily responsible for the jump -off of asparagus, harvesting strawberries and wine reading. The sector is strongly dependent on these workers, which, in contrast to other industries such as the construction industry or the catering trade, are primarily employed in agriculture.

improvements in working conditions

Simon Schumacher, board member of the network of asparagus and berry associations, emphasizes that farmers have to create good working conditions to bind the seasonal workers in the long term. These employees can quickly switch to another employer if they find better conditions or higher wages elsewhere. In order to increase their satisfaction, employers have invested in the accommodations in recent years, especially after corona pandemic. These now have a higher standard, including WiFi, leisure activities such as a football field or a table tennis table as well as driving services to the doctor in the event of illness.

Nevertheless, there are reports on bypasses of the minimum wage and excessive costs for accommodations in some companies. The unions therefore require a stronger regulation of working conditions. Among other things, they are committed to better protection of the workers, since many crop helpers do not acquire pension claims due to the short employment. However, the number of employees subject to social security increases, which shows that working conditions in the industry are improving.

origin and structure of the seasonal workers

Around 70 percent of seasonal workers in German agriculture come from Romania, around 25 percent from Poland. Other countries of origin include Bulgaria, Croatia as well as some non-EU countries such as Georgia and the Republic of Moldova. German wages are attractive for many of these workers because they are often higher than in their home countries. The German employment agency also provides information that a regular social security obligation applies to seasonal workers who work up to eight months.

The employment agency has recently also existed international agreements, which are intended to ensure better cooperation between agricultural unions from Romania, Poland, Bulgaria and Germany. These initiatives are important because there is currently a massive shortage of labor in agriculture in Romania and therefore more seasonal workers from South Asia have to be hired.

The discussion about wages, working conditions and recruitment of seasonal workers remains an important topic in German agriculture and shows how important and challenging this sector is for the entire food production.