Many groups in society have been hit by the coronavirus outbreak. One group is students. Since early March, many students have not been able to work, resulting in an inability to make a basic income.
Many students will work flexibly in sectors like restaurants, cafes or stores, meaning that the many of them will have lost all their income as a result of the coronavirus crisis.
This income, which they would usually earn, covers necessities such as rent and groceries and equates roughly 530 euros per month, the FNV union’s youth branch and the National Student Union (LSVb) have reported, according to NU.nl.
These unions have appealed to the cabinet in order to come up with a solution to address the issue.
Zero-hour work contracts
Many students are flexible workers, through employment agencies or via self-employed means. Thus they are either fired, or no longer contacted for work.
The unions argue that students should receive the same kind of assistance as other flex workers do under the government’s coronavirus initiatives.
According to the unions there are approximately 16,000 reports from students who are suffering financially as a consequence of the coronavirus measures.
And for international graduates, there are also problems
International students and graduates have also been hit hard by the coronavirus measures.
Graduates are given a visa extension for year (zoekjaar) to find a job after completing their studies in the Netherlands. However, due to the coronavirus outbreak, they are experiencing difficulties finding a job, thereby asking for an extension of their visas.
Are you a student in the Netherlands who has been hit by the measures? Tell us about your experiences in the comments.
Feature image: DutchReview/Canva