Help Needed - Possible Slave Labour

Member since 15 September 2019

JohnCD95Member15 September 2019 11:14:03

Hello, good afternoon.
I will get straight to the point.

My Sister in law and her Boyfriend have gone to Netherlands to work, they got offered a job in a restaurant (I won't name the name and the location yet).
They took the job and have been working since last Tuesday, however they are working from 10:00 morning to 23:00-00:00 night time.
So that is 14 hour shifts.

They are getting paid 30 Euro DAILY.
Surely there is a minimum wage?
The owners of the restaurant are Chinese.

Another topic is:
- The food this restaurant is using are out of date (especially meat).
- The owners treat them bad, I.E. Swearing at them, calling them names and making them do everything, while other works sit back and relax.

They were supposed to help them get a bank account but now the owners aren't, they would rather pay cash to them. I repeat: 30 Euros Per day for a 14 hour shift 6 days a week.

If this is illegal, what can they do about it.

Thank You.

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Cynic UK/Netherlands Expert

Member since 15 September 2015

CynicUK/Netherlands Expert15 September 2019 11:35:46

8078

Hi and welcome to the Forum.

To answer your question, Dutch minimum wage is displayed on the Dutch Government website; this link will take you there.

There is a Dutch Government agency (The Inspectorate SZW) who ensures compliance with the Minimum Wage and Minimum Holiday Allowance Act [Wet minimumloon en minimumvakantiebijslag], the Working Hours Act [Arbeidstijdenwet] and the Working Conditions Act [Arbeidsomstandighedenwet]. If they think they are being employed illegally, they should contact them; there is an online form to use to report this illegal activity; this link will take you there.

I've found the following contact information for the ISZW; any anonymous information regarding serious organised crime in the area of work and income and/or possible exploitation of employees in the labour market - whereby public reporting could bring danger to the person reporting or to third parties - can be passed on to the Criminal Intelligence Unit of the Inspectorate SZW.

For the west of the Netherlands: +31 (0)6 - 23 86 61 45
For the south of the Netherlands: +31 (0)6 - 10 78 21 17
For the north-east of the Netherlands: +31 (0)6 - 10 21 34 45
For Amsterdam and the provinces Noord-Holland en Flevoland: +31 (0)6 - 83 12 04 68

I strongly recommend you sort this out via the authorities, not by public naming and shaming on this Forum as, under our Terms and Conditions, we would have to remove such personal information. You never know who is looking at these public forums.

Hope this helps.

Cynic
Expat Team

JohnCD95 Member

Member since 15 September 2019

JohnCD95Member15 September 2019 11:48:34

Hello and thank you for the reply.
I won't be stating the name of the restaurant and any other information.

I will be telling them to report this to the Ministery of Social Affairs and Employment because 30 Euros a day for 14 hour shift is pretty much borderline modern day slavery.

Also they have put them up in a room full of other workers where they all have to share and they are sleeping on a mat (Probably similar to what jail cells are).

TheRealismail Contributor

Member since 06 November 2017

TheRealismailContributor16 September 2019 12:41:42

159

The whole situation seem illigal, starting from the pay to the long hours to cash in hand to the accomendation.

It is best for them to take action.

I might not know much yet about the regulations here but surely this is not under the work laws here.

No one should go through any part let less all of that here or anywhere on the planet.