A worrying context
All cases have the same common denominator. A worker who wants to come to Andorra and looks for work on the internet and almost always ends up with the same subcontracting company that offers construction work. There are people who have ended up signing the contract and others who, tired of waiting, have preferred to find life on their own.
Negative experiences
One of those affected consulted by l’premium.cat reports that he bought the ticket to arrive in the Principality in November and the subcontracting company based in Spain, Andorra and Argentina, contacted him asking to know when he wanted to come to work. After sending his CV, they set up an interview by video call with a person who was in Buenos Aires. According to him, “he liked my profile and told me that when I was in the country to call him, he would put me under contract with the company”.
When they summoned him for the interview, they told him to bring all the documentation and he had been under the illusion that they would process his residence and work permit. The reality, however, would not be this. “The lady who did the job interviews calls me to offer me a contract and to start on a Monday. However, he told me that he would not sign the contract on the same day, but during the week and they did not want to tell me where he would be going to work”. In this sense, he says, the Argentinos in Andorra Facebook group was alerted that this company was presenting irregularities and, being warned, he says he will not work if he does not have the signed contract. “Fortunately, they don’t call me anymore”, he said.
Another of the people explains that she arrived in Barcelona by her own means and the company took a long time to send her the pre-contract. This reflected a working day of 40 hours per week from Monday to Friday. At the same time it was made clear that the cost of the plane ticket between Buenos Aires and the Catalan capital would be assumed. The repayment of the amount will be deducted from your salary as a ‘loan’. They were also offered accommodation in a hotel in Sant Julià de Lòria. In his case, he emphasizes that “they didn’t tell me anything until after Christmas. Time passed and they didn’t call me.” He was surprised to be asked to undergo a medical examination and also to take a course in industrial safety and hygiene. In the end, however, he did not end up working there.
Unresolved issues
There are workers who have managed to sign the contract and work, but they continue to face problems. One of them explains that, despite not working in an irregular situation, the payments are irregular and have not been resolved. When they went to the Department of Labor, they were told to file a complaint, but were not assured that their problems would be resolved. This situation meant that they did not go ahead with the complaint, as they did not have the money to pay a lawyer and they feared losing their jobs.
conclusion
The reality of immigrant workers in Andorra is complex and full of difficulties. Although some manage to work under legal conditions, they continue to face problems such as irregular payments and lack of support from the authorities. It is important that measures are taken to guarantee the labor rights and protection of immigrant workers in Andorra.