Honing in on Spain and Scotland, EPTV depicts a poignant tale of the exploitation and poverty facing many third-country seasonal workers in Europe.

Seasonal workers: suffering for their daily bread

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/16492128/m003-0281-en.srt

Think of those Africans  on the border with Spain,

on the Moroccan coast in Melilla and Ceuta.

I feel sure that they would like  to work legally in the European Union.

Care services, tourism,  agriculture, public works:

important sectors in which the contribution  made by immigrants is fundamental.

Decent work is something that is intrinsic  to the values of the European Union.

This will ensure that third-country migrants

will fill real gaps in the labour market  that cannot be filled by EU citizens.

It should put an end - at least I hope it will -

to the worst abuses practised in Italy,  Greece and Spain, but also elsewhere.

The true cost behind the cheap produce  that the consumer wants to buy,

whether it's vegetables, fruit, fish or meat,

And that's something that  all the population should be aware of,

that behind the cheap produce  that they want to buy in supermarkets,

Ron Falconer has seen his fair share  of heartbreaking stories in Aberdeen

as a caseworker with a local organisation

dealing with discrimination  and victimisation of migrants.

With regard to seasonal workers,  it has been reported to me in the past

Exploitation in farming,  in strawberry-picking.

In one particular case, a young woman  who was of Eastern European origin

produced a wage slip which showed that  she actually owed her employer £4.11.

So many deductions  had been taken from her wages

Despite the conditions,  these workers come every year.

But you won't see them. They're hidden  from society behind factory doors,

living in steel containers along rivers,

ready to head to work  as the seasons change,

or are trapped in the country  due to their exploitation.

They are thus unwilling to face a camera.

Trade union representative  Tommy Campbell

speaks for those  who feel they have no voice.

Obviously the workers themselves  are afraid to speak out.

The culture of fear is done  for a particular purpose.

Not only are they ripping workers off  in terms of wages,

but we find that the employer tends  to provide the accommodation as well,

And worse than that,  not only are they paying the wages,

they then take the wages back off  that worker by charging exorbitant rents,

and also in some cases costs for food,  electricity and water as well.

The International Labour Organization  defines this as bonded labour.

Even more chilling  is how women are particularly at risk

when issues arise  with their accommodation.

I have heard of cases  where it has been implied

that where women were unable  to pay their rent

they might want to find other ways  to pay their employer,

and basically encourage them  to get involved in the sex trade.

Europe needs migrant workers  to maintain productivity.

The European Commission estimates that  100,000 third-country seasonal workers

But some unscrupulous employers  are taking advantage.

There could be racism and discrimination,

but the real factor behind it is just greed.

And linked to that is that  there is no real deterrent.

If, for instance, someone is exploited  at their place of employment,

doesn't know their rights  or that there is support,

and the exploitation and greed just continue.

These images were filmed  for European NGO PICUM,

which protects the rights  of undocumented migrants.

They show the makeshift camps of  seasonal workers in south-eastern Spain.

The region of Almeria is dubbed the garden  of Europe for its high productivity.

The reality for workers is sometimes  physical and psychological suffering.

We met PICUM representative  Eve Geddie in Brussels

who told us this is just the tip of the iceberg.

There's a huge amount we don't hear about.

Many seasonal workers  work in very isolated conditions.

We can talk about the very north  of Sweden or Finland,

where seasonal workers do berry-picking...

Spain and Italy are the areas  we see more coverage of.

They work in greenhouses  and isolated farms.

where there's a concentration  of NGOs and information-providers.

So de facto they're in  a very vulnerable situation

and the exploitation they experience  often doesn't trickle through to us.

which seeks to ensure  equal pay for equal work

and establishes minimum standards  for these workers across the board.

It also provides penalties to hit crooked  employers where it hurts - their pockets.

It gives us huge hope  that there's recognition

that you can't have one group of workers  treated differently

and to guarantee rights  you have to guarantee them for all workers.

But the negotiation stage  of this directive did show

that the issue of undocumented workers  remains highly politicised.

It's very hard to get political will to address  the exploitation of these workers in the EU.

can often find themselves without the  correct documentation to stay in the country

The issue of immigration has become  a political hot potato

and it will only become hotter  as the 2014 European election date nears.

But people should remember, like Ron said,