Many migrant workers are unpaid due to temporary employment agencies
More than half of the 16,000 temporary employment agencies in the Netherlands operate without any form of oversight, according to a new analysis by the sector regulator SNCU, published by Het Financieele Dagblad. The director of the agency, Jaap Buis, warned that this lack of supervision exposes temporary workers to exploitation and creates unfair competition for companies that comply with the laws.
Concerns have increased about the exploitation of workers in the Dutch temporary employment sector, especially regarding migrant workers. In July, shocking reports emerged that Filipino and Indonesian cleaners at the luxury sports club Saints & Stars in Amsterdam were forced to hand over their passports, work up to 17 hours a day, and share beds.
To measure the extent of the problem, SNCU matched the Chamber of Commerce registration codes with wage data from the National Social Insurance Institution UWV. The results showed widespread violations, indicating that thousands of agencies may be avoiding oversight and accountability.
The complaints submitted to the Dutch Labor Inspectorate confirm the extent of the crisis. Over the past three years, the Fairwork Foundation, which supports migrant workers, has filed 131 reports of unpaid wages. None of these cases have resulted in the payment of workers' dues. According to the de Volkskrant newspaper, the inspectorate stated that recovering wages is not its responsibility, leaving many migrants in a state of 'frustration.'
Fairwork stated that migrant workers who have not been paid face a "near-impossible task" in seeking justice. Between 2022 and 2024, the organization filed dozens of reports each year regarding suspected cases of unpaid wages, with amounts ranging from 300 to 10,000 euros. Despite repeated warnings and ongoing complaints, many migrant workers in the Netherlands still lack justice or due compensation.