Text 18780, 49 rader
Skriven 2005-12-16 14:09:31 av Ward Dossche (2:292/854)
     Kommentar till en text av Michiel van der Vlist
Ärende: Re: help needed
=======================
>> There are several Dutch employment agencies offering Polish
>> workers here for well below Dutch minimum wages ... they can
>> get away with that because what they get are Polish minimum
>> wages which are considerably less than in Holland or Belgium
>> or any of the 16-countries.
 
> Hmmm, I wasn't aware of that.
 
> Are you sure you aren't mixed up with these Polish truck drivers who work
> below the wages negotated by the Dutch unions?
 
No, no ... it has been a full-scandal here perhaps about a month ago when a
meat-processing plant for "economic reasons" laid-off more than 50% of its
staff and they were the same day replaced by Polish workers hired via a Dutch
mailbox-company.
 
They were getting slightly above Polish wages, which was good for them, but way
below negotiated wages in the Netherlands and Belgium.
 
This scam has happened a couple of times already and always it is via a Dutch
"recruiting agency".
 
Since wages have been negotiated for all sectors here, as it is I guess in any
civilised country, unions complained about this. The company was blocked with a
worker lock-out and the Poles were sent home while the original workers were
re-hired.
 
This unfortunately is not the end of the story. I sympathise with these Polish
workers who don't want to cheat anyone, have nothing but good comments as
they're good workers and they only want to improve their personal situation.
 
What is going to create an immense problem starting 2007 is that workers from
the last 10 countries joining the EU will enjoy the same privileges and there
will be a mass-migration from these countries to the west of people willing to
work at inferior wages. This is not what the EU is about but what our esteemed
politicians have achieved with the stupid last enlargement of the union. And
now that Turkey is knocking at the door with another 70 million people eager to
move west...
 
> The wages negotiated by the trucker unions are sunbstantially higher than
> the minimum wage.
 
But the Polish truckers nevertheless cannot afford a decent meal, have to put
in more hours and are involved in a lot more accidents owing to fatigue.
 
 \%/@rd

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 * Origin: "Leonard will be free" - http://www.leonardpeltier.org (2:292/854)