Freedom of movement for workers from Bulgaria and Romania

On 1 January 2007 Bulgaria and Romania joined the European Union (EU). As a result,it has become easier for workers from these countries to get work in other EU member states. The Government of the Netherlands decided to introduce a work permit for workers from Bulgaria and Romania during the first two years after the accession of these countries to the EU. A work permit is often granted after a labour market test has shown that there are no appropriate candidates for the job in the Netherlands. The transitional period ends on 1 January 2009, and the Cabinet has now to decide whether or not to continue it.

Marking time
The House of Representatives urged the Cabinet to mark time on the free access of workers from East European countries, because there are still many problems with workers from East European countries, related to exploitation and housing. Research carried out by SEO Economic Research, an independent Dutch research company, has shown that by mid- 2008 about 94,000 workers from East European countries were registered with the Dutch social security organisation UWV. 3 percent of these workers are from Romania and 1.3 percent from Bulgaria. Most of them are employed in farming and market gardening.

Displacement
The SEO report shows that there is no displacement of local workers. The inflow of workers from abroad does not entail a decrease in the number of jobs available for local workers. Moreover, the workers from Eastern Europe pay more taxes and social security contributions than they receive allowances.

Illegality, wages and housing
Several problems remain to be solved, however, for example in the field of illegality, wages and housing. In 2008, the Dutch Labour Inspection appointed additional inspectors in order to track illegal workers. The authorities are also keen on tackling underpayment and poor housing conditions of East European workers. The government has launched an information campaign to reach these workers. For instance, complaint forms and leaflets are available in several languages and the government has set up a Polish language website with information about working and living in the Netherlands. The intention is that workers from abroad will get well informed about their rights and duties.