James Bryce
AROUND 11,000 Andalucians are heading to the wine regions of France for the grape harvest.
According to the UGT union this is a 10% increase from last year.
It comes as increasing numbers of young people are looking to Germany and the UK to find work.
They could work round here (Granada) picking tomatoes, almonds and olives except that work is being done by Romanians on half the minimum wage, they are employed by Spaniards who lodge them in their own houses and deduct their rent direct from their wages. Of course the Spaniards moan that the Romanians are taking the jobs when the truth is that it is Spaniards (employers) taking the jobs by refusing to pay the minimum wage, tax and social security-not helped of course by the Spanish government imposing such high tax and social security payments on the lower paid.
Peter: Spot on. As in tax-dodging Greece, the people (mostly middle-class) are their own worst enemies.
Last year 30,000 Spanish arrived and signed on in the UK – how many Brits are getting Social Security in Spain – anyone know?