Meeting with the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Poland

On March 29, 2018, Minister E. Rafalska and Minister S. Szwed met with the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Poland, Mr. Ron J.P.M. van Dartel. The talks focused on the living and working conditions of Polish employees in the Netherlands.

The Minister expressed her concern regarding the unfair practices of Dutch temporary work agencies employing Polish workers. She stressed that every signal of improper treatment of a Polish citizen must give rise to a reaction from the Polish authorities.

The situation on the Polish labour market is changing, unemployment is decreasing, employment is increasing; therefore, the Polish Government's priority is to encourage Polish citizens to stay in Poland or return after working abroad. On the other hand, while respecting the decision of individuals to use the EU freedom of movement of employees, we also care about ensuring proper treatment and good conditions for those who have gone to work in another country.
Minister S. Szwed pointed out that the pathologies related to the operation of temporary work agencies were also observed in Poland, which is why the provisions of law were changed so that it would be possible to take effective actions against agencies operating based on the abuse of employees.

Despite the measures taken by the Dutch authorities (e.g. changes in Dutch legislation, implementation of an information project in the Polish language on workers' rights and working conditions in the Netherlands - http://wholandii.pl/), and cooperation between the Polish and Dutch labour inspectorate -  the problem remains unsolved. Hence, more dynamic action is needed in this area. That is why the Minister suggested organizing a joint meeting with Mr. Wouter Koolmees, Minister of Social Affairs and Employment of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Both sides agreed that the meeting of ministers would be very important to discussing ways to improve the living and working conditions of Polish workers in the Netherlands.

On this occasion, it is worth appealing to the Poles that a trip to work abroad should always be a carefully thought-out decision, helping avoid any disappointments or even troubles, and before departure, it’s worth to verify the working conditions in the country and the intermediary. Directions may be found under the link: https://eures.praca.gov.pl/szukasz-pracy-w-ue/jestes-obywatelem-polski/bezpieczne-wyjazdy-do-pracy-za-granice

As regards Poles working in the Netherlands, but also in other EU countries, we urge that in the event of abuses by local employers or brokering agencies, they should not remain passive, but report complaints to the relevant institutions in a given country. Problems may also be reported to the Polish labour inspectorate.

In the event of problems in the Netherlands, there is also the option to submit a report in Polish regarding the unfair practices of temporary employment agencies: https://fd8.formdesk.com/arbeidsinspectie/Zawiadomienie/?get=true