Strawberry pickers - seasonal work

Picking strawberries is done in the open air or in a greenhouse.

In the open air, picking is done on the ground.

In a greenhouse, picking often takes place at a height of 1.7 metres.

Region in Flanders/Belgium

There is a high concentration of strawberry cultivation in the province of Limburg,

in Noorderkempen (Hoogstraten region). Strawberries are also grown in West and East Flanders.

Picking activity:

The essence of the work is to harvest the fruits without damaging them. It is important to recognise ripe fruits and pick them.

The picked fruit should be placed in a box.

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

Period of work:

Strawberry picking is done outdoors from April to July and from April to October when cultivating in a greenhouse.

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 is general information for employment as a seasonal worker (SW) in horticulture. These are minimum standards, employers can always provide more but not less.

- In 2022, 100 working days are allowed for SW. This is a typical contract in horticulture.

- This concerns day contracts.

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

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 (or a BIS number) in Belgium. The employer will help you with this administration.

Social security declaration

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

Healthcare

Information related to healthcare in Belgium can be found on the website www.cm.be/international, https://en.kcgs.be/

Additional information on strawberry production in Belgium:

Region:

Production mainly takes place in the provinces of Antwerp and Limburg.

In Flanders, there are 530 strawberry companies on 733 hectares in the open air and 454 hectares under cover.

They supply more than 45,000 tonnes of strawberries to the cooperatives every year.

Period of the year:

The strawberry season (open ground) starts at the end of spring and the beginning of summer, which creates a significant demand for pickers.