Seven companies in Lleida have presented employment regulation files linked to the drought that affect 26 workers, according to data from the Government Delegation in Lleida.
At the meeting of the Coordination Commission of the Lleida Agricultural Campaign, the delegate, Montse Bergés, made this Thursday a "very positive" assessment from the organizational aspect of the campaign while regretting that it has been marked by restrictions in irrigation and due to the specific difficulties in finding workers.
According to the commission's data, from June to September, the average occupancy of the different temporary public accommodations was 42% with a maximum combined occupancy of 67%. They are found in Alcarràs, Torres de Segre, Soses, in Lleida (in a pavilion at Fira de Lleida and in flats), Bell-lloc d'Urgell and Bellpuig.
Regarding aid for local hiring with accommodation, the Servei Públic d'Ocupació de Catalunya (SOC) has received as of this Wednesday 606 applications from producers in the Ponent veguería, a figure that is expected to reach 700 when the deadline for submitting applications ends, October 31. In the previous season the number reached 588.
These contracts must be formalized with unemployed people or people affected by temporary employment regulation files and registered less than 40 kilometers away from the place where they are going to carry out the agricultural work, or have accommodation provided by the employer within this radius. Contractors will receive 90 euros per week per worker, with a maximum of four weeks and five people hired.
Bergés explained that the process of enabling a call for aid for the construction of new private accommodation and the expansion and rehabilitation of existing ones for temporary workers in agricultural campaigns is reaching the final part of its processing, waiting to have the technical opinion of the College of Architects.
This line of subsidies, promoted by the Department of Climate Action, with the support of the Presidency, Business and Work, Social Rights and Territory, will have an endowment of 1.5 million euros. Although it will be of Catalan scope, an important part of the aid will revert to improving the availability of accommodation in the vegería.
