Polish workers earn little, have little privacy yet they are satisfied

Most Polish workers earn no more than 8 euro an hour

 Most Polish workers are employed through an employment agency or temporary contracts and are particularly active in horticulture. Some female migrants work informally as a cleaner. The workers are usually fairly well educated but mainly do low skilled work. The earnings of migrant workers are generally not high. Most earn no more than 8 euro per hour (Westland), or 1,000, at most 1,500 euro per month (Hillegom, Katwijk). This is similar to the statutory minimum wage or a welfare benefit for singles or couples. There is a substantial part of them that earn even less than the minimum wage.

 Satisfied with living conditions

A small minority of respondents in Westland, Hillegom and Katwijk has its own residential accommodation. The others live in a so-called Polish Hotel, in a room which they share with others, in mobile homes or on camping grounds. The majority of respondents (in Westland 8 out of 10) share their bedroom with 1 or more other Polish migrant workers, who are not their own partner. There are camera’s in Polish Hotels and on weekdays a meal is served at 17.00 o’clock. Despite the lack of privacy, the majority of migrants (in Katwijk and Hillegom this is about three-quarters) are satisfied or very satisfied with their living situation.

 Future perspective Polish migrants

 Many Polish immigrants intend to stay in the Netherlands only 1 or maybe 2 years. A quarter of respondents in Katwijk and Hillegom would at least like to stay 5 years or longer. In Westland 2 out of 10 respondents want to stay at least 5 years. Relatively many respondents say they do not know how long they will stay in the Netherlands. They would like to keep their options open. Most respondents want to return to Poland to work there and when the wages are higher than they are now.

Growing numbers of CEE migrant workers

In 2000 about 5,000 work permits were issued in the Netherlands to migrant workers from Central and Eastern Europe (CEE-citizens), particularly from Poland. In 2006 there were 60,000 migrant workers and as of 2007 all workers from Poland have full access to the Dutch labor market. There are now an estimated 160,000 to 200,000 migrant workers from Central and Eastern Europe in the Netherlands. The above study is part of an overall examination of the situation of CEE-citizens in collaboration with Nicis Institute, 9 Dutch municipalities and Erasmus University Rotterdam, who carried out the study.