Spanish Farmer Faces Trial for Alleged Worker Exploitation of Moroccan Migrant

The facts occurred between 2016 and 2018. The owner of an agricultural farm agreed with the Moroccan to employ him for the melon harvest and agreed to give him in exchange for this service, food, tobacco and beer and a 10 or 20 euro bill. According to the prosecution’s indictment, MEA, without an employment contract and without a salary, remained in his service for three years. During this period, he was not entitled to weekly breaks, vacations and other work-related benefits.

To read: article 84259

The farmer also agreed with the Moroccan that the profits from the sale of melons for the 2017 and 2018 campaigns would be shared equally between them. Thus, to prevent any theft of melons, MEA also had to perform additional tasks of monitoring and controlling the product in the fields throughout the production period, which lasts about two years. But when the defendant finished selling his melons for the 2017 and 2018 campaigns, he no longer respected his contract to share the profits equally.

For all these facts, the prosecution has requested three years in prison against the Spaniard for a presumed crime against workers’ rights, a fine and compensation for the victim of 40,000 euros.