Seasonal workers in vegetable cultivation

Vegetables are planted in the open air.

Harvesting and market preparation = sorting based on size and quality.

Region in Flanders:

Vegetable cultivation in the open air is mainly located in West Flanders.

The vast majority of the vegetable area is devoted to the cultivation of vegetables in the open air (e.g. carrots, cauliflower and leeks).

Tomatoes, lettuces and bell peppers are the main crops cultivated in greenhouses.

Profiel

• No prior knowledge or studies required.

• Being flexible and motivated.

• Suitability for (often) repetitive physical work: a good physical condition is required, especially when picking from the ground.

• A sense of accuracy: an eye for quality and safety.

• Stick to rules and agreements - follow work instructions.

• Working in a team.

• Working with people from other origins/countries.

• The work is done in the open air or in a greenhouse.

• You will arrange and pay your transport to Belgium.

Offer

• This concerns employment as a seasonal worker (SW).

• In 2022, 100 working days are allowed for SW.

• This concerns day contracts.

• The minimum hourly wage in 2022: € 9.69 gross/hour.

• It is very important to carefully follow the producer's instructions!

Working hours

Working hours in the horticultural sector are normally 38 hours/week.

Seasonal workers work with day contracts.

More hours can be worked in season: up to 11 hours /day and up to 50 hours /week.

All hours worked are paid at the normal hourly wage.

Seasonal work form

There is a seasonal work form for seasonal workers on which the days of seasonal work are noted. Seasonal workers can keep this form during the season.

Lodging

In many cases, the employer provides accommodation. The accommodation must meet certain standards (floor space, heating, sanitary facilities, etc.).

The employer may charge a monthly rent for the stay in the lodging. Prices of rent can be different, depening if general costs ( water, electricity, internet, ...) are included in the rent or not.

Agreements on this should be made at the start of the season.

Registration with the municipality

You must be registered as a seasonal worker with the municipality where you are staying. The municipality will issue you with a residence document.

You will also get a social security ID number in Belgium.

Social security declaration

The benefits are declared quarterly to the social security authorities in Belgium.

Healthcare

Information related to healthcare in Belgium can be found on the website www.cm.be

www.kcgs.be …. www.vdab.be.....

Additional information on vegetable cultivation in Belgium:

Companies involved with vegetable cultivation in the open air often have several different crops per year for which seasonal workers are used.