A growing number of cases of "social dumping" (when cheap labour is exploited, often illegally) have been registered by the Ghent labour prosecutor’s office, notably involving eastern Europeans, VRT Nieuws reports.
The city has now been identified by authorities as a hub for severe abuses of migrant workers, in particular those from Bulgaria.
“There is a real mafia at work. Gang bosses recruit illegal workers in Ghent and send them out across the rest of the country. In the process, they pocket massive profits by evading social security taxes and not paying statutory wages,” explained Filiep De Ketelaere, labour auditor for West Flanders.
The official notes a jump in abuse targeting Eastern Europeans. Gangs controlled by Turkish and Bulgarian nationals provide illegal workers to construction and other work sites across the country. These gangs make thousands of euros while the workers that they employ barely earn subsistence wages. Money is laundered abroad or into real estate.
Back door to Belgium's labour market
“Malpractices are becoming even more serious. Sometimes people are hired part-time but work full-time. Other times they sign on or are on sick leave while they are actually working. There are also systems with shell companies abroad and sham self-employment,” De Ketelaere warned.
The criminal gangs are known to engage illegal labour openly, often in public spaces such as cafés or through social media. Recruits are often pushed to work in the meat processing and construction industries.
In a comment to VRT, one Bulgarian worker said he was paid as little as €50 per week by his employer, who he met in Ghent. He was provided with a small room and forced to subsist on what little money he earned. The man ultimately quit as he could not afford to clothe himself. After being evicted from his small room he ended up on the streets.
Later finding new employment in Belgium, the Bulgarian national was shocked to receive a bill for thousands of euros of unpaid social security payments, of which he was completely unaware. Working on the black market is sometimes seen as a way to earn easy money and avoid these payments.
Vulnerable workers
According to an expert in the Bulgarian community in Belgium, many of the Bulgarian workers forced into precarious conditions, especially in Ghent, are “low-skilled” people from “ethnic-cultural minorities” in their own country. They arrive in Belgium in a vulnerable condition and are open to exploitation by gangs or rogue employers.
Very often, the workers are afraid to denounce their employers. This is typically due to a culture of fear created by employer pressure and dependence. There have previously been cases of violent abuse and extortion against Eastern European workers.
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Calls have been made for stricter rules and enforcement to help protect vulnerable workers, both in Ghent and elsewhere. Charities demand more transparency in hiring processes for jobs in short supply, especially when they involve the use of temp agencies or intermediaries.
For his part, De Ketelaere believes that governments should improve their registration system for city residents. He argues that local administrations should be more proactive in identifying the lodgings of precarious workers and supporting those with social security debts as a result of unwittingly working illegally.
