In Europe, temporary and seasonal workers, workers on fixed-term or part-time contracts, migrant and bogus self-employed workers, subcontracted employees and clandestine workers have all become second- or even third-class employees, especially women. Many employees in the agricultural, tourism and foodstuff sectors are no longer able, due to starvation wages, to fully earn their own living through their work. They are forced to turn to social security services and government support in order to survive. Paid employment is less than ever a shield against poverty. The situation of these employees is further exacerbated by the privatisation of public infrastructure and increasing charges. Social support as a cornerstone of the European social model to ensure public maintenance is no longer universally guaranteed. These developments have had a particularly significant impact on the agriculture, food and tourism sectors.

EFFAT brought all these problems and possible solutions in one Charter on Precarious Work, (please see the annexes). It continues to call upon political actors at the national and European level to:

- complement the single European market and the common labour market with a European social policy that forbids and prevents the abuse and circumvention of legal and collective agreement provisions;

- introduce social clauses into the allocation of public contracts and subsidies, ensuring that only those enterprises that comply with all legal and collectively agreed obligations have the benefit of government contracts and subsidies;

- require all employers to agree on professional-development plans with all employees on a regular basis;

- promote the rights and opportunities for development of especially disadvantaged children and of disabled employees, for education is the key to integration, participation and equal opportunity in society.