News item | 05-07-2022 | 11:52
Rogue employment agencies circumvent rules and abuse vulnerable people, including many migrant workers. This leads to distressing situations, underpayment, poor housing and poor working conditions. Violating the rules also provides them with a financial advantage: they are cheaper than companies that take good care of their staff. To combat these abuses, the government will set up a mandatory certification system for employment agencies.
Minister Karien van Gennip wrote this in a letter to the House of Representatives today.
Too often migrant workers are still treated as second-class citizens. Too many employment agencies do not take good care of their staff and leave them sleeping and working in poor conditions. That is unacceptable. People who come to work here are entitled to decent living and working conditions, just like you and me. That is why I am pleased that we are taking the step towards a certification system for employment agencies. This improves the position of labor migrants and ensures a level playing field for the temporary employment sector.
Minister Karien van Gennip
Goal certification system
The mandatory certification system has several goals. First of all, the government wants to better protect the position of the workforce. It is paramount that a group of employers deal well with workers in temporary employment situations (including labor migrants). But the bad situations, in which too many workers find themselves in temporary employment situations, must be stopped as soon as possible. In addition, the cabinet wants to guarantee a level playing field for employment agencies. Among other things, by ensuring that parties that do not comply with the rules are banned from the market.
To demand
In order to be eligible for a certificate, an employment agency must demonstrate that it adheres to the rules. Employment agencies are periodically checked, for example for payment of the correct wages and the correct filing of tax returns. Employment agencies must also have a certificate of good conduct (VOG), pay a deposit of € 100,000 and offer certified housing. If an employment agency loses its certificate, it is no longer allowed to operate on the market.
Cooperation between government and social partners
In developing the certification system, the government has worked closely with social partners from the Labor Foundation and the temporary employment sector. The system will become public-private, with the social partners being given a role in the implementation of the system. The Dutch Labor Inspectorate will monitor compliance with the certification obligation and a structural budget of €10.5 million will be allocated for this. There are currently about 15,000 employment agencies in the Netherlands and the certification obligation is expected to apply from 2025.