Huesca.- The Subdelegation of the Government in Huesca held a meeting this morning to analyze the labor and social aspects of the fruit collection campaign. The meeting, chaired by subdelegate Carlos Campo, was attended by representatives of the Labour Inspectorate, the Civil Guard, the Aliens Office, agricultural organizations (ASAJA, UAGA and UPA) and trade unions (CCOO and UGT).
The meeting revealed that, by a large majority, the agricultural sector complies with the regulations for hiring seasonal workers. In this sense, greater awareness of entrepreneurs and farmers has been appreciated both with the follow-up of procedures and with the availability of accommodation. A context that facilitates the detection and reporting of irregularities, such as those that led to the recent operation carried out by the Civil Guard in Candasnos.
The Labour Inspectorate, the Aliens Office and the Security Forces and Corps operate in a coordinated manner to intervene in these situations. In the case of the Labour Inspectorate, the Inspectorate carries out regular scheduled actions during the campaign, which are complemented by extraordinary interventions when there is knowledge of possible irregularities.
In addition to the control of issues such as hiring, salaries or working hours, during these months Inspection has an impact on the application in the field of protocols for the prevention of risks in the face of high temperatures. Regarding the latter, the recent death of a worker in Fraga due to a possible heat stroke has been regretted, a fact that is under investigation.
Given the high temperatures of this summer, the importance of adopting the measures planned to avoid problems in the health of working people has been recalled, such as the adequacy of the hours of collection, the planning of breaks and sufficient refreshment, as well as attention to the alerts of the Ministry of Health.
Increased circular migration
Another of the aspects noted at the meeting was the increasing use made by companies in the fruit sector of the Collective Management of Contracts in Origin (GECCO, “circular migration”). A modality that adds to the other contracting channels for the campaign.
Through GECCO, in this campaign 1,051 people are authorized to work in the province, mostly from Colombia and destined for the Bajo Cinca Region for agricultural or fruit handling tasks. In 2024, 878 people benefited from this modality, while in 2023 there were 221.
It should be noted that the GECCO authorization is valid for four years, so that during that period workers can meet the appeal of their employers on a recurring basis. In 2025 there have been 406 new authorizations and 645 people who obtained it in 2024 have responded to appeals.