Staffing agency holds lottery with free farm workers as the prize

A temporary employment agency specialising in people from eastern Europe has enraged the FNV trade union federation by organising a lottery for employers – with 10 free workers as the prize.

The Lugera agency has organised the lottery for farmers and horticultural companies. The event is taking place at a seminar in Leusden on how to attract cheap foreign personnel, news agency ANP says.

‘We are giving away 10 free weeks of work to companies which hire in our personnel,’ director Gerard Koolen told ANP. ‘However, we are paying them at least the minimum wage.’

Mariette van der Neut of the general workers union FNV Bondgenoten described the event as ‘tasteless’. ‘The entire seminar has a feeling of trading in human beings,’ she said. ‘Have a jolly networking drinks party and give away a few free workers.’

In addition, Van der Neut said the seminar promotes ways to get around Dutch legislation on employing foreign workers by using loopholes in the law.

Lugera pays its workers the Dutch minimum wage but their social premiums, such as unemployment benefits, are paid in their countries of origin, which are much lower in eastern Europe than in the Netherlands.