Most employment agencies that work with migrant workers will separate work contracts from rental contracts. This is confirmed by industry association ABU after reporting by NRC.
The measure is intended to make migrant workers less dependent on their employer. By separating work and rental contracts, employees can keep their homes if they lose their job for any reason.
From April 1, the new policy applies to all members of ABU. It has 520 members and thus represents about 65 percent of the temporary employment market. The adjustment therefore does not apply to all private employment agencies.
Abuses
There have been serious abuses involving labor migrants for years. The measure is a response to the wishes of the Roemer Committee. At some employment agencies, migrant workers depend on their client for work, housing and health insurance, the committee concluded three years ago.
“It often goes well, but just like Roemer, we note that things sometimes do not go well with regard to housing, payments and treatment of migrant workers,” ABU director Jurriën Koops told the newspaper. The collective labor agreement that has been in force since 1 January 2022 states that people are allowed to stay in their accommodation for another four weeks after the contract has been terminated.
The number of labor migrants in the Netherlands has risen sharply in recent years. It is now at least 750,000 people. The number of temporary employment agencies has also increased sharply in recent decades. In 1998 there were about 4000. Now there are at least 14,000.
- Roemer: make migrant workers less dependent on their employer
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