Energy company Nuon has pledged to make sure people working for its subcontractors are paid proper rates, Nos television says on Wednesday.

Nuon has reached agreement with the FNV union federation to ensure pay rates are adhered to following claims that subcontractors working on two power plants in Eemshaven were paying eastern European workers well below agreed pay levels.

The energy firm has also said it will make pay rates an issue when putting projects out to tender, Nos television says.

Scaffolding

Lodewijk Asscher is planning to change the law so that commissioning companies are responsible for pay levels throughout the chain.

One subcontractor, for example, won a contract to build scaffolding but paid its 300 eastern European workers lower rates as ‘assistants’, Nos television says. 

He was ordered to pay staff the difference and went bankrupt, but the company which employed his services, and determined the fees, was unaffected.