Caixabank Refuses to Investigate Alleged Insurance Fraud Against Moroccan Farm Workers

Caixabank believes that the testimonies and documents revealed by La Mar de Onuba are not enough to open an investigation to find out if its Huelva office fraudulently deducted sums between 70 and 200 euros per year from the salaries of Moroccan seasonal workers domiciled in the bank as "insurance premiums". Moreover, the bank notes the absence of complaints or claims from the alleged victims of this embezzlement.

According to La Mar de Onuba, the fraud consisted in having the seasonal workers subscribe to "health", "repatriation" and other insurance policies without their knowledge and without their prior consent. This abusive deduction of part of the salaries of these seasonal workers could be explained by the fact that on their arrival in Huelva, they are forced to sign a contract and other documents without reading the content and without obtaining a copy of them.

The newspaper collected the testimony of some seasonal workers who claim that the company that recruited them made them sign documents for the opening of savings accounts at La Caixa and the amounts should be deducted at source from their salaries. For its part, Caixabank claims that the copies of the documents including the insurance policy subscribed, were sent to the customers’ address... in Morocco. It should be remembered that most of the seasonal workers do not understand Spanish and cannot read or write.

The seasonal workers claim to have never received such documentation. The Spanish bank also admits not having found the acknowledgments of receipt that would prove the policies subscribed by the latter. Najat Bassit, a member of the association for the defense of the rights of seasonal workers, said she had spoken with a bank official to request the cancellation of the policies and the reimbursement of the illegally collected premiums. Which, she was told, would not be possible.