Continuities of exploitation: seasonal migrant workers in German agriculture during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Seasonal migrant agricultural workers were declared ‘essential’ in Germany at the very outset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Two harvest seasons later, continuing poor working conditions, infection outbreaks on farms, and a general exclusion from social security schemes show that the recognition of the ‘essential’ character of the job has not translated into any improvements for workers. Based on interviews with trade union-affiliated counsellors for migrant workers across Germany and analysis of the policies and legal measures introduced during the pandemic, this article demonstrates how pre-existing institutional structures of exploitation in relation to seasonal agricultural work have been not only sustained but also reinforced.