Harvest assistant in Altenburger Land: Fight for fair wages and good accommodations!

Harvest assistant in Altenburger Land: Fight for fair wages and good accommodations!

In the Altenburger Land, the industrial union building-agrar-environment (IG Bau Alarm. The union calls for fair wages and decent accommodation for harvest helpers, whose difficult work takes place under the often adverse conditions of weather and physical exertion. In the region, the seasonal forces, often from Romania, Bulgaria, Poland and Croatia, are now an indispensable support Agriculture.

Currently the statutory minimum wage in Germany is 12.82 euros per hour. No employer may fall below this amount, everything below is punishable. According to [ABG-Net] (https://www.aBg-net.de/aktuelles/arbeit-wirtschaft/2025/07/vom-lohn-bis-zur-thelferhelfer-im-land-sind-field worker), the Federal Government is planning to increase the minimum wage from 2024 to 13.90 euros. 14.40 euros remains. In this discussion, IG Bau also criticizes the demand of the German Farmers' Association of paying seasonal workers only 80% of the minimum wage, which is a serious violation of the rights of employees.

Labor shortage and international influences

Recruiting workers is an increasingly difficult patch in agriculture. German workers are rarely available for physically exhausting seasonal work. Therefore, farmers are more dependent on external seasonal workers to secure crop yields from fruit, vegetables, wine, hops or strawberries. According to [bauernverband.de] (https://www.bauernverband.de/themendossiers/Arbeitsmarkt/themendossier/faire-payment-fuer-exerne-helper-and-minimum wage), agriculture in Germany employed around 286,000 seasonal workers in 2016. Most of these come from Eastern European space, but these sources are also increasingly waning. In the future, it could be necessary to recruit workers from non-EU countries, depending on the specified agreements with the respective labor administrations.

Another important point is the possibility for seasonal workers to work in Germany without a work permit, thanks to the free movement of workers within the EU. Nevertheless, the situation for harvest helpers is often complex. The social security provisions vary depending on the status of the workforce, and many seasonal workers who do not earn any income in their homeland are obliged to insure themselves under German law. Compliance with these rules is monitored by various institutions, including social security institutions, customs and trade supervisory authorities.

challenges and perspectives

The physically exhaustive work and the uncertain living conditions of the harvest helpers are alarming. While the IG Bau is committed to better working conditions, it is essential for farmers to provide both fair wages and adequate accommodations to motivate the employees and to keep in the sector in the long term. After all, unfair low wages could only lead to the lack of lack of workers in agriculture. The hope lies in a more conscious design of working conditions and a fair handling of those who order our fields and produce our food.

seasonal workers in need can contact the Fair Mobility of the German Trade Union Federation (DGB) on the concerns of the advisory network. There you will find support and information that is important for your situation.