FTM, 20 mei 2026 – The Dutch economy runs on low-paid temporary workers, including large numbers of migrants from countries such as Bulgaria, Poland, and Ukraine. But journalist Lise Witteman found that employment agencies may have underpaid them in breach of EU law. The sector could now face a bill worth billions of euros as a mass lawsuit looms.
00:00 How millions of workers were underpaid for over a decade
03:09 The hidden structural exploitation of migrant workers in the Netherlands
07:58 Uncovering 14 years of underpayment affecting millions
10:44 The day the investigation went public and markets reacted
13:18 International fallout: Polish migrant workers prepare legal action
14:36 “No one wants to talk about it” – the risks of speaking out
17:26 What the Fair Work Foundation is fighting to change
21:02 The difficult role journalists play in informing workers of their rights
21:48 Is this happening elsewhere in Europe?
25:01 What affected workers can do next