Understanding barriers: Migrant workers’ access to operational grievance mechanisms in Spain and Italy's agriculture sector

The fields of Spain and Italy rely heavily on seasonal migrant workers to harvest the bounty of Mediterranean produce that appears on our shelves in British and Northern European supermarkets. 

While these seasonal workers have the right to be treated in the same way as their local and national counterparts, the reality is that most face harsh working conditions and low pay and are unable to access the rights they are entitled to. To improve access to effective grievance mechanisms for vulnerable workers in targeted supply chains, the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) commissioned research to better understand the availability, awareness, accessibility and use of operational grievance mechanisms among agricultural workers in selected regions of Italy and Spain.  

Various recent reports have highlighted the harsh realities faced by seasonal migrant workers in Europe, this new research draws links between these experiences and factors that underpin people’s vulnerability before and during their migration for work. The research also aims to inform and improve information sharing on recruitment practices and emerging risks for migrant workers with those in migrants’ countries of origin and transit.  

In total, more than 100 stakeholders (employers, experts, organisations, and academics) were interviewed individually or participated in moderated roundtable discussions for this research, and just over 200 workers were interviewed or participated in focus groups.  

Before and during migration 

The response to these interviews demonstrated clear appetite and need for closer cooperation and information sharing among local civil society organisations in North and West Africa, when it comes to ethical recruitment and labour rights for migrant workers in their countries of origin and transit. Most funded migration interventions between Africa and Europe currently focus on deterring potential migrants by highlighting the risks of irregular migration, such as the physical dangers of the journey. However, the overwhelming majority of stakeholders interviewed doubt the effectiveness of such campaigns. 

At the same time, there are currently very few regional networks that bring together local migrant-centred civil society organisations that can provide nuanced information to communities about labour rights and the risks of exploitation as migrant workers. In response, this initiative has successfully brought together 37 local organisations in Côte d'Ivoire, Tunisia, and Morocco to form a regional network, Digniwork, whose mission is to protect the rights and dignity of migrant workers in the agricultural sector in Europe and throughout the migration journey. For the remainder of the initiative's funding until March 2025, we will work with Digniwork to help formalise its organisation and operationalise its strategic objectives. 

Access to remedy  

The research also reconfirmed that the difficult reality facing many migrant workers in Italy and Spain, including a fragile economic and housing situation and limited understanding of foreign languages, makes it nearly impossible for them to assert their rights. Their primary concern is to secure a job that meets their basic needs and supports their families, leading them to accept work regardless of potential rights violations. While grievance mechanisms exist in theory, they are practically inaccessible to workers in both countries due to their lack of awareness, low level understanding of their labour rights, and direct employer control over existing channels creating fear of reprisals. Based on findings from the research, and to complement ETI’s existing guidelines and tools concerning access to remedy (Access to Remedy Guidance,  Access to Remedy Principles for Migrant Workers and four background research papers), we have outlined practical recommendations for buyers and employers on issues to consider when designing, implementing, and reviewing effective workplace grievance mechanisms. 

Our findings 

This research was conducted in 2023, as part of ETI’s “Grievance mechanisms in agriculture” initiative, funded by the UK Government's Modern Slavery Innovation Fund III. Key findings have been summarised in a digestible report, available in English, French, Spanish and Italian, for stakeholders interested in learning more about the barriers migrant workers face in accessing grievance mechanisms and recommendations for improvement.  

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Join ETI's webinar 'Grievance mechanisms in agriculture: Insights from the migration journey' for an overview of research findings from our interviews carried out with workers and other key stakeholders in Spain, Italy, Côte d'Ivoire, Tunisia, and Morocco. 

By linking empirical evidence with practical insights, the session will offer recommendations for buyers and employers on the design, implementation, and review of effective workplace grievance mechanisms. 
 

ETI's blog covers issues at the intersection of business and human rights. We feature posts by, for and from our members and allies; we do not accept or offer payment for posts or publish content outside of these criteria. We welcome a range of insights and opinions from our guest bloggers, though don't necessarily agree with everything they say.