Picket at OTTO Workforce in The Hague * Vrije Bond
Wanneer: 02/08/2019 - 16:40
Yes, here we are again !!
Today, Friday 2 August, the Vrije Bond - Werkgroep Arbeid organized a picket at one of the offices of OTTO Workforce during the No Border Camp. This in order to draw attention in to the precarious situation in which migrants workers find themselves and are exploited.
All together we went by bike from the No Border Camp in Wassenaar to the city center of The Hague, where the OTTO Workforce office is located. Once there, we immediately rolled out the banner and took our flyers at hand. Although the office turned out to be closed (why?) we distributed in over an hour about a hundred flyers to people passing by and explained them what OTTO Workforce is actually doing. What we regularly heard back from people was that they didn’t know what this employment agency actually does and that they’re shocked to hear about the situation of migrant workers. When we had left our place and where about to leave, suddenly two police officers approached. They asked for identification and indicated that we were demonstrating, and that we should have applied for permission 4 days in advance. After talking back and forth for a while, and talking ourselves out of it, we headed back to the No Border Camp. Successful action! Why this action? The migrant workers, mainly Polish, who live and work via OTTO Workforce, among others, are in terrible conditions and are being exploited. More attention has already been given to this in the media, but the employment agencies are lagging behind in tackling and combating these exploitative circumstances. The labor migrant workers employed by the employment agency OTTO Workforce are in a precarious situation in which they are exploited. This by having to meet way too high targets. By being put on the waiting list in case of complaints, and as a result don’t given any work, so no income, but having to pay for made expenses. And they are entirely dependent on the accommodation offered, which is otherwise in dubious condition and has to be paid for it. It has also been shown earlier that migrant workers sent by OTTO Workforce have been deployed as strikebreakers at a Jumbo distribution center, which is of course completely illegal! Migrant workers often do not know what their rights are, which makes them vulnerable to such types of exploitation and are being traded as commodities. These pickets are important to pay attention to these precarious forms of exploitation. More actions! This promotion is the initiative of the Vrije Bond. More actions will follow, such as a flyer-action at Jumbo DC in Beilen on Friday August 23, during the Vrije Bond Congress. Of course you are invited to participate in this, or upcoming, action(s). Later specific announcement will follow. Contact Do you want to get in touch? Do you want to get involved or simply want more information about these actions? Then please get in touch!
Write your email to: vrijebond-arbeid [a] riseup [dot] net
Check: www.vrijebond.org