Despite a large amount of measures taken by the Dutch government, Polish workers in the Netherlands still regularly face exploitation. Research by FairWork and SOMO shows that Polish migrant workers work long hours, unpaidoverwork and face sexual harassment and threats.
The use and possible exploitation of foreign workers is a hot topic in the logistics and transport sector. An inspection by the Inspectorate SZW recently revealed that many drivers have to live and sleep in their cabs for several days, without any sanitary facilities. Moreover, the drivers were sometimes away from home for months. For example, a driver from Ukraine stated that he had been away from home for three weeks and was paid only 400 euros per month. A driver from Romania had been away from home for three months and received only about 200 euros a month.
Chain Liability Act
To combat such abuses, Minster Asscher tabled the Wet Ketenaansprakelijkheid at the beginning of this year, which makes not only employers but also principals liable if they do business with a company that pays underpaid wages.
However, the study 'Profiting from dependency' by FairWork and SOMO shows that not only underpayment is a problem among Eastern European migrant workers. Their working conditions are also distressing. "Due to their dependence on temporary employment agencies, Polish workers remain extremely vulnerable to exploitation. Despite this, the government continues to rely on self-regulation of the temporary agency sector," SOMO said. The researchers spoke to more than 100 Polish workers about pay, discrimination, exploitation and sexual harassment, health and lack of health insurance, social isolation and work pressure.
'Faster, faster, faster'
Interviews show that the pressure on Polish workers is very high. "The owner of a greenhouse where I worked introduced a competition for workers. He hung a list of all the names on the wall, in order of productivity. If someone stayed in the 'orange section' for a few days, he was fired. The owner would then call the employment agency, mention the employee's name and they would call him, telling him he was out of work. 'Faster, faster, faster' and 'faster, faster, faster' are the only Dutch and English words I know," says one of the interviewees.
Self-regulation of temporary work agencies
According to the researchers, the government should not rely on self-regulation of the temporary agency sector. Agencies should be much better monitored, said SOMO's Esther de Haan. "Self-regulation in the sector is failing and Polish workers are bearing the brunt. Temporary employment agencies, hirers and the government are up to the task to achieve good work for all Polish migrant workers in the Netherlands."
Employable at all times
At the same time as SOMO's investigation, journalist Dennis L'Ami published an article following his months of undercover work in a Coop Supermarkets distribution centre. Interviews with his Polish colleagues revealed that Polish workers should be employable at all times. "If a Pole has a day off, he can be called up during the day to turn up anyway, and if it turns out on arrival that it is less busy than expected after all, the Pole is allowed to return home. The Dutch are always allowed to continue working and always get paid," L'Ami noted after talking to his colleagues. Temporary employment agencies do not seem to be ashamed of this at all. They even make this a Unique Selling Point. "E&A, an employment agency for industry and logistics, boasts that most of its employees come from Poland: 'Big plus point: their employability is very flexible,'" Covebo, an employment agency targeting Polish workers, also explicitly mentions it on its website: "Because of the 24-hour nature of logistics, our employees are available at any time of the day.
Editorial LogistiekProfs
