- On 9 September 2025, Equal Times published an investigation documenting abusive and precarious conditions faced by migrant warehouse workers in the Netherlands.
- The article is based on worker interviews, academic research first published in 2017, and findings from a 2020 Dutch parliamentary investigation. It focuses predominantly on Spanish migrant workers but notes that other migrant and refugee workers also face abuses.
Key findings include:
- Temporary agencies operate in “legal grey zones,” using loopholes to avoid oversight.
- Contracts are written only in Dutch, often including “agency clauses” that allow dismissal without notice.
- Agencies deliberately over-recruit, leaving workers dependent on algorithm-driven apps for shift allocation.
- Hours and wages are unpredictable; pay often falls short of promised rates with no clear explanation.
- Housing is overcrowded and substandard, often in campsites or converted holiday parks.
- Rent, insurance, and transport costs are deducted directly from wages, leaving workers with little income.
- Agency-provided housing is tied to employment, so dismissal often results in eviction and workers left without the means to return home.