Visiting Polish workers in Holland
Most of the labour markets of the old EU member states remain closed to Polish job-seekers. While Great Britain, Ireland and Sweden are the only countries where Polish citizens can find legal jobs without applying for special permits, Holland is now launching a project which could further restrict the availability of its labour market to workers from new EU members.
"We have cucumbers here on 3 acres in one green house. We start the cucumber season with the first crop in the first half of December, second crop is in the second half of April, and the last crop this year will start in July. In spring and summer we need 20-25 people to harvest and select."
To counteract growing unemployment the Dutch authorities have embarked on a project encouraging employers to offer jobs to the local unemployed rather than to foreigners. Att employs both Poles and Dutch people but for hiring the latter he is given subsidies due to which fact Poles are no longer cheap labour force.
"Every year in January and February, we look for new workers, that year, and when we find enough then we don't use Polish people. And when we have a big hole in the labour then we need Polish workers. The rules are that first the Dutch people and later the Polish people. It can happen that next year we don't have Polish people. The Polish people cost the same money as Dutch guys. We have also Dutch guys with a special project for people who couldn't find work for the last one-two years, and we can get six euros every hour subsidy and that's the reason that they are a little bit cheaper."
Jacek, 25, is one of 3 Poles working on the farm. He is worried about the new regulations because it was already difficult to find a job in the Netherlands when he arrived there 3 years ago.
"It's very difficult because when you go to the house to rent, or something, you must first find a job, you must get it and only then you can rent a house. It's very difficult because you don't have work and you must have money for the rent. And this is the problem in Holland because so many people come looking for work and they don't have a lot of money. But this is true, it is very expensive in Holland."
At present Polish citizens looking for a job in the Netherlands need to acquire a permit. Moreover, before an employer chooses a Polish worker, they will first try to find a Dutch person or someone from the old EU country to fill the post.
Poland's ambassador in the Hague Jan Michalowski:
"It's very difficult because when you go to the house to rent, or something, you must first find a job, you must get it and only then you can rent a house. It's very difficult because you don't have work and you must have money for the rent. And this is the problem in Holland because so many people come looking for work and they don't have a lot of money. But this is true, it is very expensive in Holland."
Next year the Netherlands will decide whether to keep or lift transitional periods on labour flow for 8 new EU member states. By that time Polish citizens will continue to have limited access to jobs in Holland even though they seem more eager to do certain jobs than their Dutch counterparts. Out of all 25 workers Att currently employs three Poles on his farm.
"Polish people come to Holland to work. If, after 36 hours, I say there is no more work, they say 'no work, why?' And the Dutch guys will say OK. For them it's enough to work for 20 or 25 hours."
The Polish authorities declared that 2 or 3 more old EU states will announce the opening of their labour markets to new members this year, yet their names have not been revealed.
