Worker who loses arm to be given rights of residence

Franns Rilles Melgar, 33, was one of at least four employees working without a contract at a bread factory in Real de Gandia (Valencia).

They were forced to work between 12 and 15 hours a day, for just 690 euros a month in cash.

Earlier this week, Franns’ arm became trapped and ripped off in a dough-making machine.

Work inspectors and police, who visited the premises shortly afterwards, heard that the Bolivian national’s boss left him bleeding for ten minutes before attending to him.

He then threw his worker’s arm in a skip, meaning it could not be reimplanted.

Franns’ boss took him to Gandia hospital, but dropped him off 50 metres from the door and told him to pretend his injury was caused by a car accident.

He told reporters that he had come to Spain at the end of 2006 for a better quality of life, but ended up in conditions of near-slavery.

The victim says that in his home country, employees work no more than 40 hours a week and earn more than his 690 euros a month.

The central government has now given Franns legal rights of residence in Spain on the grounds of ‘exceptional reasons’, mainly because he will never be able to work again.

Work inspectors say ‘the full weight of the law’ will come down on the firm Franns worked for.

Immigrant associations, and the union, CCOO, have stressed their ‘disgust’ at the way Franns and his colleagues have been treated.