FNV, the Netherlands Trade Union Confederation has won a lawsuit against temporary employment agencies Rikla and SprintWerkt as well as mattress company Recticel.

In the lawsuit, FNV successfully demonstrated that 12 temporary workers were underpaid for years due to sham contracting. The trade union calculated that together the 12 temp workers are entitled to more than €500,000 gross in debts.

According to rtlz.nl, the temporary employees worked for Recticel mattress company and were hired through temporary employment agencies Rikla and SprintWerkt.

The temporary workers worked under a so-called contracting construction and were therefore not covered by the temporary employment agreement.

Under the sham construction the workers received the minimum wages and rights instead of the rights outlined in the applicable collective labour agreement, which would have given them higher pay and more rights as temporary employees.