- Title: Harvest workers arrive in Germany despite travel bans
- Date: 9th April 2020
- Summary: BERLIN, GERMANY (APRIL 9, 2020) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF WORKERS ARRIVING OFF PLANE VARIOUS OF POLICE OFFICERS AND POLICE TAPE VARIOUS OF ARRIVALS BOARD VARIOUS OF WORKERS PUTTING BAGGAGE ON BUS WORKER GETTING ON BUS WORKERS ON BUS WORKERS IN FRONT OF BUS WOMAN WITH MASK AND GLOVES BUSSES DUESSELDORF, GERMANY (APRIL 9, 2020) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PLANE ARRIVING ARRIVALS BOARD VARIOUS OF WORKERS LEAVING AIRPORT (SOUNDBITE) (German) SPOKESMAN FOR TRADE UNION INDUSTRIEGEWERKSCHAFT BAUEN-AGRAR-UMWELT, REINHARD STEFFEN, SAYING: "We need these harvest helpers in agriculture because the farms do not get enough workers. We are critical of the situation as a whole because we fear that the hygiene standards will not be met and that people's accommodation will not be properly regulated." VARIOUS OF WORKERS GETTING ON BUS (SOUNDBITE) (German) SPOKESMAN FOR TRADE UNION INDUSTRIEGEWERKSCHAFT BAUEN-AGRAR-UMWELT, REINHARD STEFFEN, SAYING: "We are calling for quarantine with a maximum of two people accommodated in one room. Couples often travel together, so we think that is justifiable. Otherwise, the companies should provide reasonable accommodations that also ensure that the distance is regulated." VARIOUS OF WORKERS GETTING ON BUS (SOUNDBITE) (German) EUROWINGS CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, MICHAEL KNITTER, SAYING: "Yes, the federal government arranged it and we jumped in relatively quickly and then established the process with the Ministry of Agriculture here in North Rhine-Westphalia and the farmers' association in North Rhine-Westphalia. This was something new. There were no scheduled flights. Farmers who do not charter an entire plane have to be brought together somehow so that we can fill our flights and health testing is organised so that the entry is organised. It was the first time for us, the first time for the farmers' association, and I think that's a one-off event today." WORKERS ON BUS BUS LEAVING
- Embargoed: 23rd April 2020 16:19
- Keywords: Eastern Europe Germany harvest coronavirus coronavirus Germany harvest workers
- Location: BERLIN & DUESSELDORF, GERMANY
- City: BERLIN & DUESSELDORF, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Topics: Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA001C8RQ6VB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The first harvest workers arrived on Thursday (April 9) at Duesseldorf Airport and Berlin’s Schoenefeld Airport for seasonal work in Germany's fields.
Germany’s agriculture and interior ministries agreed that to keep grocery supply chains flowing during the coronavirus crisis, 40,000 seasonal workers from Eastern Europe would be allowed to enter the country in April and May despite stringent travel restrictions.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said earlier in the week that restrictions on free movement and business closures, in effect in Germany since March 22, would remain in place until at least April 19 and that it was too early to talk about relaxing the lockdown.
Germany’s council of economic advisers has predicted that the coronavirus outbreak will push Germany into recession in the first half of this year and could result in output in Europe’s largest economy contracting by up to 5.4% this year.
(Production: Oliver Ellrodt, Erol Dogrudogan, Petra Wischgoll, Barbara Woolsey) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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