Mattress Recycling Europe (MRE), which specialises in recycling around one million mattresses a year, is in court in a case over an €85,500 fine imposed by the government. The penalty follows a labour inspection in 2023, during which 13 foreign workers were found without valid work permits.
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During the inspection, all employees were heard separately by the labour inspectorate. The company, which has since moved from Utrecht to Apeldoorn, worked at the time with a combination of permanent employees and mainly temporary workers.
Director Ruud Kortink says the inspection came unexpectedly and recalls the moment the inspectors reported. He states that the company has always wanted to work with European labour, but that in this case there would have been faulty supply through a temporary agency.
On the situation, Kortink says: "We only work with European residents." According to him, all the workers involved came in without a licence through one and the same employment agency, with which the cooperation was immediately terminated after the violations were found.
The ministry argues that MRE did not carry out sufficient checks on the employment status of hired workers and that the responsibility for this lies with the employer. The government stresses that a fine applies per violation, as it can be used to gain economic advantage through lower labour costs and tax evasion, among other things.
Kortink acknowledges that internal control could have been better, but disagrees with the characterisation of gross misconduct. He compares the situation to a traffic situation, stating, "I know I drove through a red light. But I did not think: I'm going to have a good time driving through a red light."
The judge will rule on the case later this month.
Source: The Stentor
