NETHERLANDS: Dutch Unions and workers concerned about lifting of restrictions on Central and Eastern European workers

Record ID: 730580

  • Title: NETHERLANDS: Dutch Unions and workers concerned about lifting of restrictions on Central and Eastern European workers
  • Date: 2nd May 2007
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE)(English) JOHN KERSTENS, VICE-PRESIDENT OF DUTCH CONSTRUCTION UNION, SAYING: "Some of our members see them as a threat for their own jobs and this is because of the mechanism that sometimes two Polish workers are as expensive as one Dutch worker, because the company that hires them does not obey the rules. Well if you have this situation, then there can be a tendency that more of my members will see our Polish friends more as competitors than as colleagues."
  • Embargoed: 17th May 2007 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Netherlands
  • Country: Netherlands
  • Topics: International Relations,Industry
  • Reuters ID: LVA2LUCWVFCN2EOCAN7966C5LV9Y
  • Story Text: The Netherlands opens its borders to European Union members who joined the bloc on this day, three years ago. But trade unions are not convinced they will operate under the same conditions as Dutch workers. May Day in the Netherlands has seen the opening of its borders to workers from eight countries that joined the European Union on May 1st in 2004.
    From Tuesday (May 1) workers from Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are to receive pay and conditions equal to Dutch employees.
    The conditions for the workers have been set up by the government in a bid to prevent unfair competition, according to the country's Social Affairs Ministry website.
    But Dutch unions are not convinced that the new regulations will prevent exploitation and illegal construction.
    "Our government tells us that like all these illegal constructions which we see now, in which a lot of people are exploited and there is a lot of false competition, they are the result of the restrictions we have until today in the Netherlands. We don't agree with that, we think that these constructions will stay even after today," said Vice-president of the Dutch Construction Union John Kerstens, who is concerned that employers will not follow the rules.
    He said some Dutch construction workers are concerned about the possibility of new workers on the scene.
    "Some of our members see them as a threat for their own jobs and this is because of the mechanism that sometimes two Polish workers are as expensive as one Dutch worker, because the company that hires them does not obey the rules. Well if you have this situation, then there can be a tendency that more of my members will see our Polish friends more as competitors than as colleagues."
    The Netherlands has taken a more gradual approach to opening its borders than its EU counterparts. Britain, Ireland and Sweden lifted restrictions on workers from the new member states when they joined the EU in May 2004, with other countries removing restrictions last year. Workers from Cyprus and Malta, which were among countries to join in 2004, are already permitted to seek employment in the said he had some concerns.
    "Polish companies don't have an address in the Netherlands. In the case of problems during or after the job, we can hardly track them down to settle possible disputes, we can't take them to a Dutch court or any kind of arbitrage."
    But with the Dutch economy booming, Kerstens says a new EU workforce is certainly welcome, at least for now.
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