The ”Wild West” of the European Union.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) January 15, 2009 -- We are a large group of foreigners in Andalucia, who came in good faith believing the Charter of fundamental rights and the freedom of movement inside the Union. We do not know where or how to ask for help now that a lot of us find ourselves without a job. We can’t wait for longwinded political or juridical solutions without starving in the meantime. We receive nothing...not a penny, even though it is clearly a right according to the Charter.

I went with a young mother to the social office to apply for help to the family. We brought the Charter in Spanish. When she was refused help, we asked the socials office to sign a paper stating that they refused the help. They refused to do so.

Let us focus on article 34 in the Charter – dealing with social security and social assistance:
1. The Union recognizes and respects the entitlement to social security benefits and social services providing protection in cases such as maternity, illness, industrial accidents, dependency or old age, and in the case of loss of employment, in accordance with the rules laid down by Community law and national laws and practices.

Let’s furthermore zoom in on “the entitlement to social security benefits and social services providing protection in cases such as loss of employment”
You can get unemployment benefit if you have had a working contract before you were laid off! Stop, wait – take five…Reality check from Andalucia:

Andalucia has the second highest unemployment frequency in Spain. The latest official figures from 2007 furthermore state that 33% of the population in Andalucia does not make it past the poverty-line defined by the European Union. l

It is very fine to settle down on the Costa del Sol with a pension from a Northern European country or with an international fixed pay check coming in every month; a totally different scenario is to have to make a living and support yourself and your family on the Andalusian labor market.
It is still pretty much moonshine and black economy that dominates the picture and the majority are working on temporary contracts or without a contract at all. On top of that a lot of workers are underpaid and should you try to assert your right to a fair pay and a legal contract you will most likely find yourself without a job - because there is always another poor bucker just waiting to take over your illegal, underpaid job out of desperation.

In order to have the right to basic social security benefits like free medical, a stay in a hospital or financial help to the family; you must have had a work contract of a certain length before you lost your job...and if you were self-employed and paid for your social rights when you were working – you will find that you have almost no rights at all.

When foreigners line up at the local market hours before it opens – hoping to make a few pennies selling their used stuff - then it is getting serious in the Wild West of the European Union.

     Charter of Fundamental Rights     starving in andalucia