The hidden workforce: Migrant labor in the Netherlands

Who picks our produce, packs our parcels and pays the price? PhD researcher Kornélia Anna Kerti spent four years investigating the living and working conditions of Central and Eastern European migrant workers, including six weeks undercover in a warehouse herself. 

Her findings are concerning: long hours, insecure contracts, physically demanding work, and often overcrowded housing. Temporary work agencies act as both employer and landlord, creating a difficult situation for workers with little security and few options. 

“Migrant workers often can’t speak up,” Kerti says. “They deserve the same decent working and living conditions as everyone else.” She calls on employers and municipalities to step up: “Check in with your people. Talk to them. And create policies that give them a fair chance, especially when it comes to housing.” 

🎧 Listen to the podcast to hear more about her research.