Amsterdam gym accused of worker abuse with alleged passport seizures, 17-hour shifts

Filipino and Indonesian cleaners working for the upscale Amsterdam gym chain Saints & Stars have faced severe exploitation, according to an investigation by Het Parool. At least 23 workers were forced to surrender their passports, work shifts as long as 17 hours, and share beds with strangers. Some even lost their legal residency rights within the European Union as a result of the working conditions.

The abuses allegedly occurred at all Saints & Stars locations, with the flagship City branch serving as the epicenter. Since March, dozens of cleaners were allegedly subjected to exploitative labor practices across the chain. Het Parool conducted interviews with 11 affected workers and reviewed evidence, including WhatsApp messages, photographs, videos, audio recordings, and email correspondence with the Dutch Labor Inspectorate.

A crowdfunding campaign for the exploited cleaners has raised over 20,000 euros. A group concerned about the labor migrants’ plight started the fundraiser, explaining on the GoFundMe page, “We are in contact with the affected workers. The collected funds will be distributed among them.”

On Wednesday night, the Labor Inspectorate’s investigative unit allegedly arrested the bookkeeper of a gym in Amsterdam on suspicion of document forgery. While the Inspectorate has not named the gym, it confirmed that during raids at all four locations of one Amsterdam fitness chain, 23 workers were found without valid residency or work permits, according to Het Parool.

Saints & Stars is owned by 31-year-old Tom Moos, the son of millionaire René Moos, who co-founded and now serves as CEO of Basic-Fit, a major European gym chain with 1,400 locations. Tom Moos declined requests for an interview, but issued a written statement to Het Parool, saying: “It pains and saddens us that our actions are now being questioned. A key part of our company culture is always taking good care of our people and helping them where needed. Naturally, we are fully cooperating with the investigation.”