Thursday, February 5, 2009

Polish worker exploited by "Groene Flex" bedrijv

Hi comrades,

Here is a very sad story of one of our friends, who was badly
exploited by a Dutch company Eurocontract and their Polish partner
Groen Flex. He felt ill because of the working conditions and the
company who hired him didn't pay his health insurance, as they should.
Now, not only is he without work, but he has to pay the medical costs
of 2318,50 Euro.
We are looking for ways to force the company to compensate him.

More details below. I am sending this to AGA too.

Zaczek - Union of Syndicalists of Poland.
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Our comrade Michal has signed a contract with a temp worker agency
called Groen Flex in Opole in Poland on December 12th, 2008 in order to work at
Eurocontract Zeeland B.Vz with headquarters in Goes. The contract was
for a period of 78 weeks for work in greenhouses, sorting vegetables.
The Polish and Dutch contract guaranteed health insurance starting on
December 15th.

He started working in the Netherlands on December 15th in the port of
Vlissingen. It
turned out that he was employed on a shipyard construction site
instead of sorting vegetables! But he started to work anyway, despite
the fact that he didn't receive any safety training and didn't know
English or Dutch, so he couldn't read the warning signs. He was forced
to work without protective masks cleaning ships in Middeelburg. After
exposure to the different substances in the ship he lost consciousness
and was taken to the hospital, to the cardiology department in
Vlissingen.

The bosses were notified of the event, but no one came to visit him in
the hospital. He was able to communicate with the doctors only thanks
to a Pole living in Holland. After 24 hours he was let out of the
hospital. He found himself without any more work, having worked only 6
days out of the period signed in the contract of 78 weeks! His
employers informed him that everything is ok with the hospital bill,
because he is insured. He left for Poland on January 9th.

Back in Poland, it turned out that he wasn't insured by the company.
The bill for the medical assistance of 2318,50 Euro was sent to his
home address.

Europ Assistance Polska Sp.z.o.o acting on behalf of the insurance
company S.T.U Hestia S.A informed him that they cannot refund his
treatement. It turned out that the company wasn't paying his insurance
during his stay in Holland. He called Groen Flex to clarify the issue.
They informed him that Groen Flex has nothing to do with Eurocontract
(even though they represent the company in Poland) and that he can go
to court if he wishes.

Groen Flex receives money from the Polish state to combat unemployment and
advertises in the state employment offices.

The address of the Dutch company: Eurocontract Zeeland B.V, 4462 JM GOES,
Stationspark 29 E.

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