Ukrainian refugees in conflict with conniving boss
The Netherlands has received a number of Ukrainian refugees over the past two years. The government and local authorities have made multiple statements of how they stand with the Ukrainian people, how they will offer them safety and even the opportunity for work. What was not discussed was the vulnerability of these newly arrived workers in the Dutch labor market. And indeed, we are seeing what we feared. Ukrainians used as cheap, easily expendable labor. The same fate that so many other refugees with resident status have in Europe. A group of Ukrainian people, currently housed in Amsterdam, were hired by a Dutch cleaning agency. They cleaned hotel rooms in the city center. The company: Glanstastisch Schoon. The owner of the company and employer: Irshaad Kariman. Despite all their hard work, Kariman fired them and did not pay them all the wages he owed them. He claims to have gone bankrupt, and refuses to communicate with them about their money. He also claimed that he is meeting financial advisors to find a solution. The cheated workers have decided to support each other in their claims against this exploitative business owner. All they ask for, is the money they are owed. And for Kariman to take responsibility for his actions. We, as members of Vloerwerk and Horeca United support these workers and their campaign against the fraudulent employer. We have interviewed some of them to share their working conditions, their demands, and their experience in the Dutch labor market.
Horeca United in Ukrainian refugees in conflict with conniving boss (Horeca-united.nl)