Poland, Holland and Slovakia: Actions in defense of labor rights in ETT OTTO started the campaign against labor exploitation in OTTO ETT. On 11 February, the ZSP and Priama akcia conducted information campaigns and protests at the offices of TTE OTTO in Poland and Slovakia. In the Netherlands, a group of Polish workers, co-Vrije Bond (AGA i ZAG) and the ZSP seen some "hotel" for workers. OTTO
ETT is the largest employer of workers from Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic in the Netherlands. Payments, low, working conditions and accommodation sometimes are illegal or do not comply with the collective agreement. In addition, OTTO created a system of labor control and make money with a system of fines in the work and the hosting company. We wrote about the problems with the agency here:
www.otto.zsp.net.pl The firm did not prolong the contract of one of our partners. He was unjustly and illegally fined several times and complained. Waiting for the final payment, the money did not receive the first month, the fee for the low and holidays. Instead, on Friday received a notification that he was fined again - 1000 euros - without explanation or documentation.
This is not a job - it's slave labor!
Another fellow, who lived and worked beside him, still not received payment, even though they had received 10 of the month. But payments are delayed and not complete a normal part OTTO where many workers do not know if they will get all, or whether they will receive a reduced payment, without explanation, or whether they will be fined.
Peers, with other Polish workers and former employees of Otto decided to fight and there is a campaign with Dutch Vrije Bond, the ZSP akcia Priama Poland and Slovakia. We demand that pay OTTO what to workers, to end the system of fines, which meets the promises and contracts and the collective agreement to improve conditions in their accommodation and to end the contractual discrimación. (For example. OTTO may terminate a temporary contract without notice, but workers must
pay a fine of 500 euros if you do the same. And sometimes, they end the employment without notice because they did not receive full pay or have problems with unfair fines.)
actions will continue and intensify in the coming weeks.
OTTO Problems ETT
In the Ú last years there have been many complaints about the practices of the ETT OTTO Workforce, particularly Poles who were sent to work in Holland. OTTO is a blacklist on the Internet as an agency worker who cheats. Some who have worked there in the past have contacted AGA and ZSP on several issues, asking what they can do. At least, they asked us to warn people and we informed of their rights and they can do if they are deceived.
In several letters, complaints our Internet forum and personal conversations, we present a preliminary list of the most typical. We're talking to more people and we hope to present more facts soon. A campaign for prospective and current workers should begin soon.
false promises in Poland
One of the most typical is that the promised work in Poland is somewhat different in reality. Sometimes they say that workers are going to do a job, but when they come to Holland, we offer something completely different. Also sometimes sign contracts with friends or family members in Poland, where they say they will work together, but can be divided when they arrive. They promise 40 hours a week for a specific period, but happen that do not receive full working hours or no work for several weeks. In the worst case, they are sent back to Poland before earning money.
Hours bands and
Many workers are transported by bus to various work sites, but sometimes there is no work and they must be ready. Some workers estimate that 25 30% of his colleagues have had periods in which they work only occasionally, eg twice a week. Sometimes to work more hours, they must work overtime. One day in 11 or 12 hours is typical when they are extraordinarily rich hours but there are also cases where they had to work 20 hours a day.
Salary, wages, fines
It's rare that workers receive minimum wage (but there is some information that this also took place) Normally, a large percentage of the wage returns to OTTO . The first thing is the inflated payments for accommodation. There are other deductions such as for the insurance portion of the money is returned by the Dutch government (300-400 euro per year) but is sent to OTTO, not workers.
recently arrived people working without all required documents (eg SOFI) for several weeks. They have no paid vacation or extra payments for working in festivos.A Although the insurance payments are deducted from their wages, often do not get paid when they are ill and receive lower fines when caught.
Workers complain about the many penalties that put them. They are fine especially in hotels and barracks for workers, where the charges are fabricated and the people are included when fined for being disorderly. Is made arbitrarily and the company tends to charge all the people in the room for the infractions of a person. Workers are often unaware of these fines to pay day and some people who complained was fired.
Finally there are sometimes problems with late payments. In cases where workers have been dismissed without notice, they have told us that they laid without paying and then struggled to collect something.
Accommodation Problems one of the main sources of wage reductions
Many people have complained about the housing conditions of many locations in the Netherlands. This is well known and have written articles in the press.
Recently, some propaganda videos have appeared on YouTube, ostensibly presenting OTTO people who work in demonstrating their good housing conditions. The people working there is that these are the public relations business because the conditions are like in the videos. The videos trying to prove that low-level property in the forest as something like a ¨ park, "or a" summer camp. "
In fact, these "camps" are something different. Many of the villages are isolated in the woods, away from everything. They often are 20 miles from any city. Social life revolves around the housing and company store or bar.
Workers also complain that they must get up very early to be transported to work, often for 1.5 - 2 hours. After work, while the bus collects people from various locations, they have to wait an hour or more. Often this means they can take 3 to 6 hours per day going to and from work.
A place in which many new workers is Laarbruch in Germany 20 kilometers from the Netherlands. People living in converted barracks of British RAF from the airport near Weeze. Semanda once the company organizes a bus to the store a half hour away. Dozen rooms share a bathroom and kitchen.
Laarbruch.
In the rooms, many people complain about mold, overcrowding, dirty facilities with broken equipment. The bungalows, as Uddel, are not adapted to live in the winter. It is clear that the agency and his friends make a lot of this, making them overpay for conditions inadequate. There have been incidents where workers have complained about the conditions were lying in the middle of the noce without notice, to teach a lesson to others: be quiet. Some people who were thrown out of the hotel so were dismissed without notice and without payment. The people who complain about the accommodation is disturbed and was not renewed contracts.
The money earned with the accommodation of workers is a lot. In Woerden 4-5 people living together, each paid 280 euros per month, which totals more than 1000 euros. Aquila local Imobiliaria whole houses for this price. The locals offer stories for 300 euros, but not OTTO like this because they want to be ready and prepared to be picked up at the hotel. If you call at your door at 6 am and will report a job, you should be ready in 15 minutes. There was one case where someone moved the hosting company and they would not pick you up or find any jobs.
Otto charges the same price for the property, regardless of conditions. This leads to a pathological condition in which some do favors for better accommodation.
Workers
write
Below is a letter written by two workers Polish describing the problems and penalties had put them arbitrarily.
Our names are P and A. Quiseramos present the story of what happened to us in Holland. When we came to this country, we find an attractive job offer with the ETT OTTO. In late October, we went to an interview in the office in The Hague.
signed a contract of 3 months. The day before our departure they have changed the place where we should live, we had certain conditions in our contracts. The contract we guarantee accommodation for 280 euros per person in a double room. The reality was different. We put in a room with four people but did not pay the same.
From the beginning we tried to change both the accommodation as the room it was like we were promised. Our manager said it was impossible to move. We sent the manager of the hotel but did not get anything.
The vast overpopulation of hotel workers (120 people) created a stressful situation among the residents. This was the result of too few bathrooms, toilets and other facilities that the hotel should have provided.
Our problems, as other workers resident, started from:
- A delay in payment. And a week before the holidays our weekly payments were reduced. Our monthly payment was also too low, disagreed with the average hours. We received 190 euro for two weeks and one month only 270 euros.
- Residents at the hotel in addition to paying 280 euro for accommodation, they had to pay for cleaning a couple of people working and living in the designated hotel manager.
- People were fined yellow or red cards and penalties were deducted from our salary without our knowledge or any research. For example, we were fined for allegedly damaging a smoke detector was not working when we arrived. They deducted the salary of 400 euros every 4 people living in the room.
- If wouldst a day off of work were fined 13 euro. If you arrived 5 minutes later by the transport company were fined 15 euros, even if there were regular buses that were in the workplace.
- If security was called to your room, 80 euros deducted. Even people who were sleeping could be fined. One day there was a conflict between A. and one of the people in the room who struck him in the head. A. had to go to hospital. He did not have the opportunity to explain the incident and when he left the hospital, security asked him to his office. Instead of making an investigation or call the police, security fined them all. Then it turned out that these two guys had a criminal record. When we signed the contract, our history checked criminal, but they do not. A week later, security knocked one of them. A. denied health insurance and payment (6 working days) during the 3-month contract. The manager said that given the situation, could extend his contract for this amount of time.
- P. was fired the day before the end of the contract and told him why not extend that was what he told co-workers about the problems with the temporary employment business.
As a result, we feel we've been treated unfairly therefore we would like to warn and inform future workers and others who have been harmed by OTTO.
Polish worker 'ZSP For more about OTTO publish more information on what you can do if your rights are violated www.pracownik.net.pl web site in Polish. You can contact us at is@zsp.net.pl In Holland agamsterdam@yahoo.com get in contact with or ottoslaveforce@gmail.com