Opposition MPs call on Deputy PM to better tackle work discrimination

By Janene Pieters on February 18, 2016 - 10:06
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Lodewijk Asscher (Photo: Rijksoverheid.nl/Wikimedia Commons)Lodewijk Asscher (Photo: Rijksoverheid.nl/Wikimedia Commons)

Opposition parties SP, CDA, D66, ChristenUnie and GroenLinks are calling on Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Social Affairs and Employment Lodewijk Asscher to do more to tackle discrimination in employment. According to the parties, nothing has come from Asscher's promises to crack down on discriminatory companies and Maartens are still rather employed than Mohammeds.

"Minister Asscher has a lot of good intentions, but shows little action", SP parliamentarian Sadet Karabulut said to RTL Nieuws. "That's where it goes wrong. Enforcement. The tough approach."

One of the measures Asscher implemented in the fight against work discrimination, is that companies that discriminate do not qualify for government procurement. According to the opposition parties, so far nothing has come from this measure. "No companies who are guilty of discrimination have been excluded", D66 MP Steven van Weyenberg said. No companies were fined or taken to court either.

The Tweede Kamer, lower house of parliament, is debating the issue with Asscher on Thursday.

The Kamer previously suggested an experiment with anonymous job application, but so far no proposal came of it. Groningen is currently running such an experiment, at GroenLinks' insistence.

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