News » 29.08.2025 - NL: Dutch Labor Authority fines two Westland growers over €450,000
Two companies within a greenhouse group in the Westland have been fined by the Dutch Labor Authority for multiple violations, including breaches of the Foreign Nationals Employment Act (Wav), the Minimum Wage Act, and the Working Hours Act (ATW). Together, the fines add up to more than €450,000.
One of the companies has also received a Warning of Preventive Work Stoppage (WPS) due to the Wav violations.
The company that received the WPS faces fines totaling more than €255,000. If the Labour Authority finds the same or similar Wav violations again, it has the power to halt all operations at the company. For now, this is only a warning, which will expire after five years if no stoppage is enforced.
The second company has been fined just over €195,000.
Deployment of Ukrainians
The violations were discovered during joint inspections carried out with partners from the Regional Information and Expertise Center The Hague (RIEC). This triggered a larger investigation, which revealed irregularities involving 219 Ukrainian workers (link in Dutch).
The employer failed to register these workers with the Dutch Employment Insurance Agency (UWV) in time. As a result, the workers were employed without the legal right to work in the Netherlands, which constitutes a violation of the Wav.
According to the Labor Authority, such violations not only undermine the position of workers but also create unfair competition in the labor market.
Insufficient wages
At one of the companies, working hours were not properly recorded, which is a breach of the ATW. Accurate records are essential to ensure that employees are not overworked and are paid correctly.
The investigation also showed violations of the Minimum Wage Act. For example, the employer deducted housing costs from wages without the required certification under the SNF quality mark for temporary worker housing.
Reporting unfair working conditions
The Labor Authority notes that breaches of the Wav are common. Employers can use the Verification Checklist (link in Dutch) to confirm whether an employee is legally allowed to work in the Netherlands.
The authority stresses the importance of reporting unfair, unsafe, or unhealthy working conditions. Suspected abuses can be reported (link in Dutch) through the Labour Authority's website. Additional information is available on Zelfinspectie.nl.
Source: www.floraldaily.com
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