Mr. Agisilaos RAPSANIOTIS is a farmer and owner of a substantial agricultural holding in Tyrnavos, -region of Thessaly – cultivating pears, peaches and grapes for wine and tsipouro, which enables him to be active privately. The total cultivating area consists of 1,8 ha with pears, 2,9 ha with peaches (nektarini variety), 3,3 ha vineyards.
He believes in cooperatives and has not gone into manufacturing because he sees that the future of the Greek farmer is in dynamic cooperatives with an export profile and economic self-sufficiency. He has a political profile and is interested in social and especially rural issues and has served the society of Tyrnavos in several positions. As vice-president of Supervised Organization – Company (TOEB) from 1995 to 2000, as a member of Agricultural Wine Cooperative of Tyrnavos without interruption since 2000 and as President of Agricultural Wine Cooperative of Tyrnavos from 2010 to 2017.
He actively participated in the Central Union of Vine and Wine Producing Co-operative Organizations of Greece (KEOSOE) holding key positions and later as Vice-President of the Board of Directors. and its representative in National Interprofessional Association of Vine and Wine (EDOAO).
He participated in the Strategic Planning for Greek Wine and in the National Interprofessional Vine and Wine Association for many years, as a member of the Board of Directors. He was also a member of the strategic planning group for Greek Viticulture and interlocutor of all the Ministers of Rural Development.
Through his occupation in important positions in the agricultural sector, he has also dealt with the issue of the employment of migrant land workers. A particularly important issue in the wider area of Thessaly, an area in which a significant percentage of the country’s total agricultural production is produced.
He has participated in significant research and demonstrative national and European programs and projects, where pilot actions have taken place in his cultivating land, as an advocate of the circular economy and the protection of the environment. He sells his production to wholesalers, agricultural industries, but also directly to consumers.
The total area of Thessaly is 14,036 km² and represents approximately 11% of the total area of the Greek territory. It borders Macedonia to the north, Central Greece to the south, Epirus to the west, while to the east it is bordered by the Aegean Sea and the southern part of the Thermaic Gulf.
In the Region of Thessaly is 12.3% of the used agricultural area of the territory, which corresponds to 347.069,2 ha.
Additionally, in this area, 359,000 tons or 7% of the total 5,495,000 tons of our country are produced, approximately 1/3 of the apple trees are cultivated, of which, according to the same data, 129,000 tons are produced out of the 395,000 tons nationwide (apples 304,000 tons nationwide – 84,500 in Thessaly – Pears 81,000 tons nationwide – 43,300 tons in Thessaly).
As far as fresh vegetables are concerned, according to the same data, the total production of the country amounts to 2,330,000 tons and in Thessaly 278,000 tons (12%).
The largest percentage of production is found in the industrial tomato, where of the 315,000 tons produced by our country, 190,000 are found in the Region of Thessaly.
The family of Mr. Rapsaniotis in the area of Tyrnavos in Thessaly has 23 ha of arable land. On his name has a total of 8 ha of Pear, Nectarine and Vine crops. In the area of Kipileria and Tsamaslari there are 1,88 ha of pears. In the area of Tsamaslari and Sultana there are 2,85 ha of peaches and nectarines. And finally, in the area of Sprada and Kipileria there are 3,2 ha of vineyards with a variety of Assyrtiko, Moscato and Sauvignon.
He started with his brother working near their father to learn the job and slowly take care of all the crops and the cultivation practices and become a professional farmer.
Cultivation practices are mainly plant protection, fertilization, pruning, removal or incorporation of prunings and plowing (depending on the field).
The most intensive work is done during the period from April to September and from May to August, which are also the periods when the seasonal land workers are busy. During the pruning season, it employs specialized workers because it is very important work and requires special knowledge and experience.
At this farm business, the owner is working together with 2-3 permanent full-time employees that he employed 30 years ago and 10 το 25 seasonal employees during the harvesting season.
Although Thessaly due to its position and its lands, is one of the most productive regions giving wealth to those employed in the agricultural sector, due to the very hard work very few decide to enter the sector. The continuous decrease in the entry of young people employed in the agricultural sector, as well as the ever-increasing agricultural-livestock exploitation, created the need to look for workers from other countries. The alternative would be to give up farming and see their labors go to waste, unable to harvest their produce.
Thessaly, due to its huge agricultural holdings, has been a pole of interest for the employment of economic immigrants from neighboring countries such as Albania. So gradually (for more than 30 years now) the need for labor in the agricultural sector is covered by migrants.
In the case of Mr. Rapsaniotis, the family business has been employing migrant workers from Albania for 35 years. It has a permanent staff of 2-3 people who live in the area with their families, speak fluent Greek and in most cases, their children are born in Greece.
In Greece, as in several other European countries, there are different ways of searching for and inviting land workers. Such as, through government digital applications to search and apply for workers and jobs respectively. Through agreements between states and regulatory implementation framework. Through specialized agents who provide services to employers and workers, through acquaintances and recommendations, social media in specific pages, etc.
In the case of Mr. Rapsaniotis, in the first years the labor supply was greater, because migrants arrived in the Thessaly area by the dozens because they knew that there was a demand for agricultural work. This allowed the farmer/employer to choose who to hire based on knowledge of the Greek language and age, both for permanent and seasonal workers.
In this way, the inclusion was done smoothly because he could agree and organize the work in the fields without significant difficulties. Of course, he himself made sure to help or even undertake to fully handle all the royalties in order for them to have insurance, work cards and housing.
Workforce is one of the many factors that significantly affect business profitability. This means that the employer has to ensure that the appropriate conditions prevail between the workers so that their coexistence is harmonious and thus the required tasks are completed.
In the case presented, the management of migrant land workers was done mainly with equal treatment (financial and workload) and supporting them in the needs they presented.
In the case of Mr. Rapsaniotis where there is a great demand for labor force, there is no competition between the workers and combined with the good knowledge of the language, he can coordinate the work as he wishes.
Since human resources are vital to business, good working conditions must be ensured.
These include satisfaction in terms of working conditions, to ensure the safety of land workers for their work.
The employer makes sure to treat them in the same way, demanding from them the observance of the agreement between them, having as an important tool the advantage that they speak the language to a satisfactory degree so that what they agree on can be understood.
Workers who feel they are treated fairly perform and cooperate better with each other.
An additional reason for the harmonious coexistence of the land workers is that there are not so many different views and other cultivation practices that there are rivalries since all the workers he employs come from the same country.
In the case of Mr. Rapsaniotis, the permanent staff is satisfied because they have stable work all year round as well as social security and, moreover, their salary is paid on time and consistently.
Seasonal workers on the other hand are also satisfied because they have secured work and income every year in all crops during the harvest season but also in the pruning season as the case may be.
The social integration of migrant’s land workers in the place where they work is important both for them and their families and for the local community.
As mentioned earlier, in Thessaly migrant land workers have existed for many years. Their integration is complete and they work at all levels like the native ones.
Moreover, since their arrival filled an existing need at the local level that there was no other way to fill, it was a necessity for the local community to accept and integrate them.
The permanent staff live in the village for many years and rent their own house where they live with their families. They have fully integrated into the local society and have adapted their lives to the new conditions. They have developed friendly relations with Mr. Rapsaniotis and his family and also with the locals by participating in events and celebrations organized locally.
The main and most important challenge is to secure the workers he needs every time to complete the work that needs to be done in his fields and not lose his production.
The second very important requirement is that they speak the Greek language at a satisfactory level. Experience has shown them that if they do not speak the language they cannot perform as well and as quickly because they are not sure that they have correctly understood the commands given to them.
Mr. Rapsaniotis believes that employers should know in principle the conditions that forced the workers to leave their home country in order to show due understanding, but also be informed of the benefits that can be taken advantage of for them and inform them and they help with the procedures.
This presupposes that they themselves are aware of the regulations and laws of the state, both for the help of migrants and for their own benefit, knowing what their rights are and what their obligations are.
To be systematically informed about the legal framework of migrant land workers, their legalization procedures, the Bodies that should be addressed for questions and other formal or substantive issues that concern them.
According to Mr. Rapsaniotis opinion, the training-information that should be given to the migrant land workers who come to our country, should be done in their language and should be on labor, tax, insurance, but also on cultural issues.
In terms of work, it will help them understand how the country’s labor system works and therefore their rights-obligations, in terms of taxation so that they know how they should act when they start working, but also in terms of culture that will help them in their social integration which is equally important for the harmonious coexistence of the community.
It should be mandatory for them to take a series of language lessons so that they can understand and communicate in the best and most effective way.
To give them guidance for access to free government information platforms so that they can seek information on issues that arise and require a solution.
Mr. Rapsaniotis believes that there is a distinction of needs in the way of management and training, depending on the undertaken responsibility.
If the local worker holds a position of responsibility as a supervisor, he should be informed about any matter concerning migrant land workers. Mainly for issues of insurance, remuneration, taxation and their transfer and accommodation procedures.
If he is an unskilled worker like the migrant land worker, he should recognize and understand the difficulty of living and working in a foreign country and this is not a matter of seminary but of culture and civilization of your place.
In addition, a co-worker, has the ability to help them integrate socially in the place where they live. In many cases and for a considerable period of time, they are the only people they know in the country.
Mr. Rapsaniotis believes that the most basic issue that should be resolved and concerns those farmers who are professionals and responsible businessmen is to pass the responsibility of insuring migrant land workers directly to them and not to the employer. In other words, he cannot ask to be paid without being insured.
He also believes that the income-related benefits given to them should be cut or their terms should be changed. The reason is that the land workers are pushing not to get the insurance commensurate with the work time they provided, so they can continue to enjoy the benefits. Thus, the farmer cannot declare the actual costs and illegality is favored.
MILIMAT is a 2-year project funded by the EU Erasmus+ Programme that focuses on integrating migrants into multicultural agricultural teams. The project aims to develop several training resources for farmers and migrant workers in agriculture, with the goal of promoting fair labor relations and encouraging commitment to European labor rights. MILIMAT is led by the CIA Agricoltori Italiani Umbria (Italian Farmers’ Confederation of Umbria).
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Migrants Labour Insertion in Multicultural Agricultural Teams