An asparagus grower from Linne has been fined 85,000 euros. According to the Labor Inspectorate, employees lived and worked at the company under appalling conditions.
In addition to the fine, the grower received a ‘preventive shutdown warning’, which means that the Labor Inspectorate can stop the work if the employer violates the Minimum Wage Act again within five years.
Statements and timesheets
The abuses at the asparagus grower from Linne came to light, among other things, through statements and time sheets. This showed that employees had to work more than 80 hours a week for 7 euros per hour. The Labor Inspectorate has also established that fewer hours were paid than were actually worked.
No proper registration
For violating the Minimum Wage and Minimum Holiday Allowance Act, the grower must pay a fine of 70,000 euros. Because he has not kept a proper registration of the hours worked and the rest enjoyed per employee, a fine of 15,000 euros is added to this.
Also read: Romanians lived in fear in dilapidated shelter in Linne
Joint Control
In June last year, more than 50 migrant workers were found under ‘dangerous and appalling conditions’ at the asparagus grower’s complex in Linne. This happened during a joint inspection by the Aliens Police, the Social Affairs and Employment Inspectorate and the municipality of Maasgouw. “I have rarely experienced such a degrading situation,” Mayor Stef Strous said about the find last year.