“Housing and work must be separated from each other. Now it applies to migrant workers: no work, no home. Anyone who loses their job, therefore sleeps on the street. We have been calling for some time to let go of this and to ensure decent housing for people we to the Netherlands. Politics and employers must quickly take responsibility for this,” said CNV chairman Piet Fortuin.
The union also wants the capacity of the Labor Inspectorate to be expanded. “In many areas we see that the limited capacity makes employees outlaws. Because why would you as an employer stick to the rules if there is less and less control? Expanding the inspection must therefore become a top political priority,” says Fortuin.
Sanctions and fines
According to Fortuin, CNV has recognized the image that De Boer paints for some time. “Poor housing, abuses and lousy working conditions. The forming parties are now probably putting the finishing touches on a new agreement. Let them include these important points at the last minute: expansion of inspection and regulation of labor migration. It is fully in line with the call for more social security, to which the forming parties owe their election wins.”
FNV has been seeing abuses surrounding labor migration for years with “unacceptable and degrading” working, living and living conditions. FNV director Petra Bolster says that there is a “surplus of bad employers who put all the profits in their own pockets, but let society pay for all the problems arising from the exploitation of labor. It is time that employers pay the fair price for labor.”
The association believes that political decisiveness, regulations and effective enforcement are necessary. “An example of this is investing in the capacity of the Labor Inspectorate. Because without regulations, effective enforcement and control, employers can continue to exploit migrant workers. Another example is imposing sanctions and fines that really hurt.”
