Foreign workers and freelancers embroiled in a conflict with their employer over pay can now take their case to court for a less costly and simpler ruling.

Just four courts – in The Hague, Rotterdam, Overijssel and Zeeland-West-Brabant – will be offering the service from next week for a trial period of three years.

The aim is to make legal recourse cheaper, faster and more accessible, junior legal protection minister Teun Struyken and social affairs minister Eddy van Hijum said. People who want to use the new system will not need a lawyer or much paperwork.

“Getting justice often involves a lot of legal, practical and financial hurdles,” Strucycken said. “The regelrechter will remove many of those hurdles, such as a lot of paperwork and costs,” he said.

The new courts will cover cases involving up to €5,000, including work-related and housing disputes.

Van Hijum said the new legal service would benefit foreign workers and freelancers in particular because employers “all too often do not honour labour agreements”. It will also help in tackling dodgy jobs agencies, he said.