One of Amsterdam’s most luxurious gyms, Saints & Stars, has found itself under fire after an investigation by Het Parool revealed the horrific conditions the gym’s cleaners must work under.
At least 23 members of the cleaning staff, consisting of Filipino and Indonesian workers, were forced to share beds with complete strangers and work for up to 78 hours per week.
Some also had their passports taken.
The extent of the exploitation
Het Parool spoke with 11 of the cleaners involved, and the picture they painted was not at all pretty.
The cleaners explained that they were offered accommodation while they waited for their work permits, but were surprised to find several people crammed into one room, some sharing beds with each other.
One cleaner tells Het Parool that she slept on the floor of a walk-in closet. She was also told she would work 40 hours per week and would be paid €2500 per month.
In reality, the cleaners were expected to work far more than this, with one telling Het Parool that in one week, he worked one six-hour day, two eleven-hour days, three twelve-hour days in a row, and one fourteen-hour day.
Passports taken
One cleaner, Linae (not her real name), tells the paper of how she was put in contact with the housekeeping manager, Nicoleta Gavriluță.
Gavriluță told her that she would arrange for a work visa for Linae after a three-day trial period. She was told that it would take three weeks to arrange and that “our boss Tom” would pay for everything.
In reality, it would never have been possible to receive a work visa this way, as cleaning work is not eligible for this type of visa.
According to Het Parool, several cleaners handed over their passports to Gavriluță, who kept them, saying that she needed them to complete the paperwork.
Cleaning management team fired
In a video by gym-owner Tom Moos, it’s been revealed that the team responsible for managing cleaning at the luxury gym has now been fired.
Moos also announced that the Dutch Labour Inspectorate is looking into the matter. In an official statement, the company writes:
“Our mission has always been to create an environment where people feel safe, respected, and empowered, not only for our members, but also for our trainers, staff, and every individual who contributes to our community.”
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