The Spanish road haulage industry is planning a major recruitment drive for professional Moroccan drivers to make up for the shortage of manpower it has been suffering since Spanish truckers lost interest in the profession because of its conditions, which are deemed to be arduous. 

Following in the footsteps of the agricultural sector, the Spanish transport industry is now seeking out Moroccan labor. According to Spanish media outlet ABC, the sector is preparing to call on no fewer than 26,000 professional Moroccan drivers.

This is a major first, not only in terms of the sector launching this vast operation, but also in terms of the large number of candidates to be selected.

In fact, the Spanish agricultural sector used to call on Moroccan seasonal workers during berry-picking campaigns. At the start of the operation, this contingent numbered no more than 18,000 female farm workers. What's more, recruitment was seasonal and lasted, at best, 5 months.

Today, this is a sector where salaries start at 1,600 euros and rise to 2,000 euros per month, depending on experience.

To this end, the Spanish government has taken steps to authorize the use of national truck drivers. On February 6, the Spanish government initialed a protocol allowing reciprocal recognition of Moroccan and Spanish professional driving licenses.

In other words, a Moroccan truck driver can drive in Spain with a document obtained in Morocco. in the same way as a Spanish driver can in Spain, with no need for technical or oral tests. Better still, the language requirement has been dropped, paving the way for the recruitment of national truck drivers.

There's no word yet on the details of this recruitment drive, but we can expect a major mobilization on the part of Spanish truckers. They are contesting this solution, put forward by the employers' association to the competent authorities, in order to make up for the crying lack of qualified resources in this sector.

Similarly, Iberian road hauliers consider the document obtained in Morocco to be "undemanding" compared with the draconian conditions imposed on their Iberian counterparts.

But in reality, this alternative will drive down wages, whereas these road haulage workers were counting on this shortage to win an upward revision of their wages and better working conditions.

H24info