Employmentweb_low

EmploymEnt, Work, And hEAlth InEquAlItIEs - a global perspective
without a labour contract, one’s situation is unstable and highly uncertain. the workers commented that their working
days were ten and even fourteen hours long, without compensation for overtime, holidays or night-time work. at the same
time, they perceived their incomes to be inferior to those of documented workers: “From six in the morning to six at night
...there is a night shift we work sometimes, from one-thirty in the morning until closing ... working more hours, cheaper...”
(Moroccan man)
some commented that they had been required to expose themselves to high-risk situations, which they could not avoid
because of their economic dependency on their jobs: “you don’t even think about it because you have to do it, there’s no
other...” (Moroccan man); “no, i don’t say anything, because i don’t have a job and i can’t say anything” (Moroccan man).
while they tended to minimise the risks, they were conscious that a serious injury would bring grave consequences because
they had no social protection. undocumented workers believed that their biggest risk was the vulnerability that came with
that status.
the situations of these workers most clearly had repercussions in their mental health. they described the centrality of
work and their legal situation in the illness that many suffered. they described insomnia, suffering, nervousness, and
obsessive thoughts, among other things: “undocumented people suffer, they suffer a little bit more than documented
people, yes, i think so, i think so” (Moroccan man); “it’s hard for me to fall asleep, and the thoughts ... when there are so
many thoughts, your head doesn’t even know what it wants”; “then there are nightmares, so many things, so many
problems” (Moroccan man).
this group’s legal situation is one of vulnerability and powerlessness. labour unions could acquire a fundamental role
in the protection and empowerment of these workers, but the majority of them did not participate in union activity. For their
part, unions have not adopted fully effective strategies for integrating this group.
the irregular situation, occupational and social, that characterises these workers not only complicates their integration
and stability, but also exposes them to a high level of uncertainty and marginalisation within the adopted society. integration
through a poor-quality job not only predicts problems in occupational health and risk prevention, but also in the overall
health of undocumented workers.
* this number is approximate. it is calculate by subtracting the 3.021.808 foreigners with authorisation or residence
visa/card number from the number of foreigners registered in the Municipal register of inhabitants (3,88 million). in
Ministerio de trabajo y asuntos sociales. secretaría de estado para inmigración y emigración. observatorio permanente de
la inmigración. extranjeros con permiso de residencia el 31 de diciembre de 2006.
References
instituto nacional de estadística. (2006). registro municipal de habitantes. retrieved from http://www.ine.es/inebmenu/indice.htm
izquierdo aguilera, r. (2006). el acceso de los inmigrantes irregulares al mercado de trabajo: los procesos de
regularización extraordinaria y el arraigo social y laboral. Revista del Ministerio de Trabajo y Asuntos Sociales, 63.
Ministerio de trabajo y asuntos sociales. (2007). Observatorio permanente de la inmigración. retrieved from
http://extranjeros.mtas.es/es/observatoriopermanenteinmigracion/
child labour
a growing number of studies have shown that health problems
are one of the main negative effects of child labour. These effects
vary in nature ranging from occupation-related diseases and
injuries, directly related to hazards in the workplace or when
commuting, to increased vulnerability to biological or toxic
agents due to an immature immune system, ergonomic risks
resulting from inadequate dimensions of tools and equipments,
and impairment of physical, mental and social development due
to limited time for resting, playing and studying, among other
health and developmental problems. Therefore, child labour has
been repeatedly associated with problems related to the physical,
physiological, mental and social development of children
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