[{"content":"In the night of 16 july, people from Extinction Rebellion (XR) targetted a Microsoft data centre construction site in the Amsterdam port area. The group says to have tried to weaken the recently placed reinforced concrete foundations, by dousing them with a mixture of hydrogen peroxide, acetic acid, salt, and acrylic paint. According to Extinction Rebellion, the acid attacks the concrete, the hydrogen peroxide causes steel to rust faster, and salt speeds up the process. Techwerkers called with Martijn Dekker, spokesperson of Extinction Rebellion.\nThe activists threw balloons filled with the chemical mixure over the perimiter fence onto the open foundation. With their action, Extinction Rebellion joins an earlier campaign against the construction of the data center in Amsterdam, started by Geef Tegengas, which in June this year held a protest at the site where they occupied entrances and machinery, forcing construction activity to a halt for much of the day.\nA single Microsoft data centre consumes 1% of all available electricity in The Netherlands In the Netherlands there is a growing awareness of the ecological and social damage done by the massive data centers built by hyperscaler big tech. For example, a single Microsoft data centre in the Dutch town of Middenmeer is responsible for 1% of all electricity use in The Netherlands, newspaper NRC reported this week. These new massive data centres are almost exclusively built to fuel the AI hype, which has been used as an excuse for mass layoffs among tech workers, crushes creativity and cognition, and fills people’s lives with meaningless slop.\nWater is increasingly wasted on cooling data centres. And for what? To generate more AI shit Also Dekker sees that concerns about data centres are widely felt. “The discussion is picking up fast. Everyone seems to be complaining about them. There’s an acute water shortage in The Netherlands right now. When I open BlueSky, everyone is talking about water being increasingly wasted on cooling data centres. And for what? To generate more AI shit.”\nWith these direct actions against the Microsoft construction site, Dutch activists also become part of a global movement to stop energy-guzzling hyperscalers. In the United States, where this movement is now most developed, the opposition to data centres is monitored by Data Center Watch. According to their most recent report, in 2026 at least 75 projects worth approximately $130 billion disrupted by local opposition in the USA alone.\nIn recent years, people from Extinction Rebellion Netherlands have focused heavily on large scale disruptive action of ‘business as usual’. For example, since 2022 they have blocked the A12 motor way over forty times, to put pressure on the Dutch government’s subsidies to fossil industry. In that type of action, you cause disruption to people on the road to make a point that’s meant for politicians. This time they chose a direct action tactic to target the Microsoft site. “I think it shows how the movement evolves,” says Dekker. “You need to keep looking for what resonates with people. What’s effective. To target Microsoft in this way, it’s something that many people can understand.”\n","date":"16 July 2026","permalink":"/en/posts/aanval-microsoft-ai-datacentrum/","section":"News","summary":"Climate action group Extinction Rebellion attacks Microsoft data centre construction site, amid growing worker opposition to AI facilities in the Netherlands.","title":"‘We used acid to sabotage Microsoft hyperscale data centre construction’"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"/en/posts/","section":"News","summary":"","title":"News"},{"content":" Join ","date":null,"permalink":"/en/","section":"Tech Workers Coalition","summary":"","title":"Tech Workers Coalition"},{"content":"Too hot to work. Heat strike anyone? # How are you coping with the heat? As I write this, indoor temperatures are approaching 28˚C, which is apparently the maximum to safely perform ‘light indoors office work’, according to the Arboportaal. If your job involves laying fibre-optic cables or other forms of very strenuous physical activity, then you should only work at temperatures of at most 23˚C (or 25˚C if there’s a significant breeze). (Note, these are recommended levels, not legally binding maximums.)\nMeteorological agency KNMI's forecast for dangerous heat levels in late June 2026 Working in a too-hot workplace can be dangerous. Exhaustion can leave you and your coworkers unable to concentrate, which could lead to errors and injury. You could risk heat-related conditions such as dehydration, heat stroke, or even death. Heat is becoming a daily occupational hazard for many workers in the Netherlands, and realistically, it’s only going to get worse.\nIf it’s too hot at your workplace, your boss may have to take measures, such as: offering you personal protective equipment, chilled drinks, shortening hours or even scrapping work entirely for that day. You’re allowed to consult with the arbodienst (occupational health and safety agency) about measures.\nBut what if your boss doesn’t act? In the UK, a coalition of labour unions and environmental action groups including the Trades Union Congress, the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union, the Fire Brigades Union, and Extinction Rebellion are calling for legally binding maximum temperatures, and call on workers to enact a heat strike should temperature rise above certain levels. Idea?\nBosses will be bossin’ Upcoming events # Want to meet other tech workers? Join one of the upcoming events:\n2 July, 7:30 pm - Summer book club: A Radical Enterprise, ch. 1 + intro, online 3 July, 3:00 pm - Friday Fika, online 3-5 July - tbd NOTACAMP, Het Groene Veld, Amsterdam 6 July, 7:00 pm: Organizing meetup, online 9 July, 7:30 pm - Summer book club: A Radical Enterprise, ch. 2, online 10 July, 3:00 pm - Friday Fika, online 16 July, 7:30 pm - Summer book club: A Radical Enterprise, ch. 3, online 17 July, 3:00 pm - Friday Fika, online 20 July, 7:00 pm: Organizing meetup, online 23 July, 7:30 pm - Summer book club: A Radical Enterprise, ch. 4, online 24 July, 3:00 pm - Friday Fika, online 30 July, 7:30 pm - Summer book club: A Radical Enterprise, ch. 5, online 31 July, 3:00 pm - Friday Fika, online Also feel free to add any interesting events to the calendar.\nNew resources # Reclaim your tech! # Learn how to step away from the big tech platforms and reclaim your sanity, privacy and control of your data. From search engines to messengers to running your own email. A fresh video guide to help you get started.\nWatch ‘Reclaim Your Tech!’\nThere is no \u0026lsquo;middle\u0026rsquo; between working and owning # Why is it that many tech workers don’t really see themselves as workers? This article dives into the pernicious ‘myth of the middle class’: the idea that there’s some class category in between that of worker and owner, always just one startup removed from becoming a millionaire. And guess what? It’s a trap.\nRead the article\nAh! The joys of a good cleanup On the radar # Some news crumbs that caught tech workers’ attention this month:\nStrikes! Workers at dairy merchant FrieslandCampina Leeuwarden are striking for a 4% wage increase, workers at liquor store Gall \u0026amp; Gall strike against a ca. 5% pay cut, and public transport workers against proposed cuts to social security. Offices of the student labour union ASVA in Amsterdam were vandalised in the early hours of Saturday 21 June. ASVA chair Sahand Mozdbar suspects the attack was targeted, but said the workers won’t let themselves be intimidated. Labour union history: High school student Christian Martina interviews worker Wim van Seeters about their role in the 1969 unionized working youth protest in Den Haag, for the right to education and better wages. If LLMs have human-like attributes, then so does Age of Empires II. Need to identify yourself to the Dutch government? First create a Google account or Apple ID, please. At least … that’s what the Dutch government thinks is fine for NL Wallet, the alleged successor to the current DigiD system. Norway bans the use of LLMs in primary education, because \u0026lsquo;children should find their own answers\u0026rsquo;. Who’s delaying pay transparency? The Netherlands is delaying pay transparency! (until at least 2027) Dutch Ministry of Defense is setting up partnerships with higher education institutions to stimulate student recruitment into the military, yet the Algemene Onderwijsbond fails to take a stance. Spending billions on weapons, yet supposedly the Netherlands has \u0026rsquo;no cash\u0026rsquo; to maintain the current air raid alert system? The Bijstandsbond union for people on low incomes turns 50 this year. Congratulations! Bye for now! tech workers unite ✌️\n✧･ﾟ* written by humans *･ﾟ✧\n","date":"27 June 2026","permalink":"/en/posts/2026-07/","section":"News","summary":"It’s too hot to work, but you can join a Summer book club on radically collaborative organizing, reclaim your tech, and pierce through the myth of the middle class. All that, plus some fun activities and news for tech workers in this month\u0026rsquo;s update.","title":"Too hot to work, reclaim your tech, the myth of the middle class, and more"},{"content":"You are not a tech bro (via Radical Graffiti) Why is it that many tech workers don\u0026rsquo;t really see themselves as workers?\nAs a member of Techwerkers, I have a pretty clear idea of what kind of a world I and my fellow members like to live in, and which direction to go when building such better world. But to make sure we\u0026rsquo;re on the same page and that we\u0026rsquo;re not wandering aimlessly, having lost track of our goals, together we’ve decided to actually write down our vision and mission statements. I can recommend doing this. As you go through the process of explicitly formulating your vision, and brainstorming strategies, many patterns become clear.\nDuring one of the brainstorm meetings, there was a single virtual sticky note that stood out to me. It said that an obstacle to many, many of our goals and aspirations is that tech workers often don\u0026rsquo;t really see themselves as workers.\nSounds weird, doesn\u0026rsquo;t it? Of course we\u0026rsquo;re workers, it\u0026rsquo;s in the name! We go to work most days of the week and what we do there is work. So, what else could we be? Yet at the same time I see colleagues and online strangers actively rooting for the filthy rich tech oligarchs, hoping they\u0026rsquo;ll become billionaires any day now, and cheerfully embracing technologies explicitly aimed at automating us out of our jobs.\nSo let\u0026rsquo;s explore what I mean by that. Let\u0026rsquo;s talk about the difference between doing work and accepting our shared position as the working class; let\u0026rsquo;s talk about the myth of the \u0026lsquo;middle class\u0026rsquo;.\nOne startup away from being a millionaire # Many workers in tech are quite privileged compared to other workers. We\u0026rsquo;re generally well-paid and have good job security. We have cool jobs and skills, we\u0026rsquo;re the \u0026lsquo;magicians\u0026rsquo; who know how to make your phone do all the cool thing it does. We\u0026rsquo;re the engine of the industry that has transformed the modern life and produced countless massive corporations, billionaires, and a trillionaire.\nIn such an environment, it\u0026rsquo;s no wonder that many of us keep aspiring up. We\u0026rsquo;re just one great idea, one successful startup away from becoming millionaires, aren\u0026rsquo;t we? We obviously have more in common with the tech bro oligarchs than the janitors that clean public bathrooms, right? The fact that we don\u0026rsquo;t actually own multiple villas, luxurious yachts and don\u0026rsquo;t hold power over global politics and economy is just a temporary inconvenience after all!\nyou\u0026rsquo;re unimaginably more likely to become homeless than to win at the game of capitalism But at the end of the day, we\u0026rsquo;re unimaginably more likely to become homeless than to become one of the winners of the game of capitalism. There\u0026rsquo;s literally a shortage of 396.000 houses in the Netherlands, while there are merely 14 billionaires living here. As tech workers we are just as vulnerable to market changes beyond our (individual) control as any of our neighbours is. How many of us make a decent salary, but still feel inexplicably stuck in the economy – not even owning the roof over their heads due to the housing crisis, constantly worried about the livelihood of their family whenever the next round of layoffs comes and our jobs get automated away, constantly feeling exhausted and burnt out no matter how cool their job looks from the outside?\nThe labour you provide # What makes this outlandish dissonance materialise – despite it being so outlandish – is arguably our shared belief in the existence of \u0026rsquo;the middle class\u0026rsquo;. There\u0026rsquo;s no clear, universal definition of that term, there\u0026rsquo;s no material distinction between this class and the others – just a vague feeling that someone\u0026rsquo;s not poor, but not rich either. Just like us! The Sociaal en Cultureel Planbureau, for example, even claims that the Netherlands have seven distinct social classes, with bizarre class labels and as a collection neither exhaustive nor mutually exclusive.\nBut when you start digging deeper, trying to understand where the middle class actually begins and ends, you quickly realise that it\u0026rsquo;s just an illusion. Ultimately, people\u0026rsquo;s economic situation boils down to just two things: the labour they provide and the assets they own.\nOf course, that distinction doesn\u0026rsquo;t always hold on the individual level. There are people who do a salaried job while also running a business on the weekends. There are people that Marx would call petite bourgeoisie: small business owners who own their means of production, but still have to work to survive. But even with the nuances considered, the point is that our actual place in the economy isn\u0026rsquo;t determined by some number fitting into an arbitrary income range – but the question of whether or not you have to work (or rely on state or community support) in order to survive.\nIf you suddenly get fired, you can probably live a few months on your savings and on welfare – but ultimately you\u0026rsquo;ll have to find another job in order to pay your bills and feed your family. If your health gets worse and you\u0026rsquo;re unable to do your current work anymore, you might be forced to switch to a completely different industry or rely on government programs and help from your support network.\nBut if one of the big shareholders of your company for some reason can\u0026rsquo;t keep doing what they\u0026rsquo;ve been doing? No big deal. They might have been choosing to work, but ultimately, they don\u0026rsquo;t have to. They probably own a big house, a vacation home, and a bunch of rental properties that \u0026lsquo;passively\u0026rsquo; provide them more income without lifting a finger than your hard work ever could. They probably have a portfolio of assets that \u0026lsquo;work for them\u0026rsquo; in the infinitely growing stock market. They probably received a golden parachute and still receive dividends from the shares of the company you work for. You are not the same… There\u0026rsquo;s a separate economy for those people who own assets and those who have to sell their labour to survive.\nStarting from solidarity # I get it. It feels glamorous to think of yourself as a future rich person. It feels like a failure to still not have become one. It feels shameful to be closer to the bottom of the social ladder than to the top. It feels safe to escape into dreams of a better future that\u0026rsquo;s just around the corner. It feels scary and exhausting to speak up against the people in power.\nBut ultimately that approach can\u0026rsquo;t work. It obviously doesn\u0026rsquo;t! Regular people are struggling, our economy is in one crisis after another, next generations are worse off than previous ones – while the stock market is booming and property prices keep rising. The system keeps working exactly as intended: making the rich richer and the poor poorer.\nThere are many things we can do about it, ranging from simply speaking up against the inequality, to organising ourselves in unions, fostering workplace democracy, demanding a fair share in our companies and in the wealth that our labour creates, all the way to implementing Fully Automated Luxury Communism. But doing any of those things has to start from a place of solidarity. Solidarity is not just being there for each other in hopes that others will be there for you when you need them. Solidarity is also recognising who\u0026rsquo;s on the same boat as you are, and who\u0026rsquo;s actively trying to sink it.\nembrace the inherently antagonistic relationship between the owning class and the working class We won\u0026rsquo;t go far in ensuring that everybody can lead a dignified life without embracing the inherently antagonistic relationship between the owning class and the working class; without realising that some people directly benefit from the suffering of others. We need to reject the notion that we, the tech workers, are \u0026lsquo;middle class\u0026rsquo;, sitting comfortably in the middle of the social ladder – because ultimately the ladder itself is unfair and hurtful.\nAnd while the title of this post makes for a good slogan against the myth of the middle class, the truth is that there actually is an alternative to the dichotomy of either having your labour exploited or doing the exploiting. It\u0026rsquo;s possible for the workers to meaningfully own their companies: there are multiple examples of thriving enterprises like that. Take Mondragon from the Basque Country, which is the largest worker co-operative federation in the world. But it can also be as simple as employees owning stock (not stock options!) of their companies in the amount that gives them a meaningful impact on the decision-making.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s one thing to be a cog in the machine, constantly worried about becoming a victim of the next round of layoffs for the sake of shareholder profits – and another thing to be a valuable contributor to the business who has a say in difficult decisions like layoffs and gets a slice of the pie that we\u0026rsquo;re collectively baking.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s your decision which one you\u0026rsquo;d rather be. If it\u0026rsquo;s the latter – welcome on board! Let\u0026rsquo;s join our efforts and build a fairer world together!\n","date":"26 June 2026","permalink":"/en/posts/myth-of-middle-class/","section":"News","summary":"Do you see yourself as a worker? In this article, a tech worker pierces through the myth of the \u0026lsquo;middle class\u0026rsquo;.","title":"There is no 'middle' between working and owning"},{"content":"The office of the Amsterdam student union ASVA was broken into and vandalised in the early hours of Sunday 21 June. The windows of two doors and the counter of the student service desk were smashed. It appears to be a targeted action against the student union. Other offices in the CREA building on the Amsterdam Roeterseiland campus remained undamaged.\nIt is not yet clear who is behind the destruction at the union\u0026rsquo;s office, but according to ASVA chair Sahand Mozdbar, the execution points to deliberate intimidation. \u0026ldquo;Things had been damaged, archival documents thrown on the floor, and someone pissed against the wall.\u0026rdquo; As far as Mozdbar could see, nothing was stolen.\nDamaged interior window at the ASVA office In a press release, ASVA places the incident in the context of recent vandalism against other student unions. It mentions that the student unions SRVU (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) and AKKU (Nijmegen) were previously targeted with acts of destruction and vandalism. Currently it remains unclear though whether it will even become known who is behind this action. ASVA will file a police report together with the University of Amsterdam. However, attacks on labour unions must always be taken seriously. Not only do they have the potential to materially disrupt the organization of workers, but they can also signal that something more might be going on. In early 1933, trade union offices were one of the first targets of Hitler\u0026rsquo;s paramilitary squad, the so-called Brownshirts (Sturmabteilung, SA).\nWe’re mostly shocked, but will in no way let this disrupt us — Sahand Mozdbar, ASVA chair Could a far-right group be responsible for the attack on ASVA? When asked, Mozdbar says he is not aware of an active far-right student movement at the University of Amsterdam. \u0026ldquo;But there’s one at the VU, although it’s currently a bit fragmented.\u0026rdquo; Far-right student associations are also active in other university cities. In Nijmegen, Leiden, and Utrecht, for example, there are branches of the Groot-Nederlandse Studentenvereniging (GNSV), an extreme right-wing organisation founded in 2021 that has close ties with the white supremacist group Geuzenbond. Right now there is no reason to believe that any of these organizations have anything to do with the vandalism carried out over the weekend in Amsterdam.\nDamaged service desk at the ASVA office \u0026ldquo;We’re mostly shocked, but will in no way let this disrupt us\u0026rdquo;, Mozdbar emphasizes. \u0026ldquo;If this action was indeed committed in an attempt to intimidate us, then it’s completely backfired. To the contrary, ASVA is more determined than ever. We won’t be silenced by such cowardly acts. It’s a pathetic example of the increased repression and attempts at intimidation facing progressive voices.\u0026rdquo;\nTechwerkers expresses its support for student union ASVA, and stands together in unity with all other labour unions and organisations within which workers collectively stand up for their interests.\n","date":"24 June 2026","permalink":"/en/posts/asva-aanval-studentenvakbond/","section":"News","summary":"Vandalism hits offices of student union ASVA, but the workers won\u0026rsquo;t let themselves be intimidated.","title":"'More determined than ever.' Vandalism in office ASVA student union"},{"content":"Learn how to step away from the big tech platforms and reclaim your sanity, privacy and control of your data. From search engines to messengers to running your own email.\nThis video guide is based on a knowledge sharing session ran by a tech worker in June 2026.\n","date":"17 June 2026","permalink":"/en/resources/reclaim-your-tech/","section":"Resources","summary":"","title":"Reclaim your tech!"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"/en/resources/","section":"Resources","summary":"","title":"Resources"},{"content":"What is it # Worker self-organization, not being controlled by bosses or managers, can seem counter-intuitive. Can this work? At scale? In any sector? At your workplace?\nThe book A Radical Enterprise by Matt K. Parker shows that the answer to these questions is \u0026lsquo;Yes\u0026rsquo;. It describes concrete examples of companies ranging from 5 to 40.000 workers\u0026mdash;including the Dutch care company Buurtzorg\u0026mdash;where workers self-organize their work.\nLearn how you and your coworkers can regain your autonomy, dignity and fulfilment at work through collaboratively organizing the work yourselves.\nSessions are held weekly online on Thursdays from 7.30 to 8:30pm CEST, from 2 July to 13 August 2026.\nFree and open to all. Texts provided.\nRegister now\nWhere # Online + a possible in-person gathering for a closing social (to be confirmed).\nWhen # Thursdays @ 7:30-8:30 pm CEST, beginning 2 July. 7 weeks in total.\nSchedule # Date Topic Reading 2 July Why radical collaboration? Introduction + chapter 1 9 July Team autonomy Chapter 2 16 July Task autonomy Chapter 3 23 July Reward autonomy Chapter 4 30 July Flourishing Chapter 5 6 August Vulnerability Chapter 6 13 August Self-organization, what next? Conclusion Weekend of 15/16 August Bonus: onsite closing meetup (to be confirmed) - Sign up # You\u0026rsquo;re most welcome to join! Send an email to summer2026@techwerkers.nl to sign up.\nAbout A Radical Enterprise # Some praise for A Radical Enterprise.\nAaron Pava, Chief Experience Officer (CXO), CivicActions:\n“A Radical Enterprise (\u0026hellip;) inspires us with practical solutions for building open, decentralized organizations and shows us how to create the conditions for teams of any size to find meaning and fulfillment in their work.”\nGene Kim, Author, Researcher, and Founder of IT Revolution:\n“This book will challenge you! Matt K. Parker explores the often surprising frontiers of how organizations can run. He looks at thirteen businesses that have chosen to adopt organizational philosophies that may seem alien and strange but when presented with fifty years of scholarly research are suddenly not so crazy after all.”\nMatt Perez, cofounder of Nearsoft and coauthor of RADICAL Companies:\n“A Radical Enterprise is a very important work and deserves to receive a very wide readership. It is organized around what makes up the foundation of radical collaboration: team autonomy, managerial devolution, deficiency gratification, and candid vulnerability. The author gives many real-world examples of radically collaborative companies practicing these imperatives. (\u0026hellip;) it’s about how our world is going to metamorphosize from a system of domination to one of collaboration.”\n","date":"15 June 2026","permalink":"/en/posts/summer-reading-2026/","section":"News","summary":"Learn about collaborative self-organizing in a 7-week radical online summer reading group.","title":"Radically collaborative self-organizing | Summer 2026 reading group"},{"content":"Spotlight # Labour Day 2026 # A worker-controlled tech paradise with good music, spicy snacks, and working conditions that bring flourishing while sharing all profits. Are we there yet? Eeerrrm … maybe in 2026 not quite. All the more important to celebrate working people on May Day! This year Techwerkers joined a big parade in Amsterdam with flags, flyers, a worker sound system, and of course all the necessary casual banter. Power to everyone who joined!\nMake it louder still next year? ♡\nCall for input: Future perspectives # What would your dream future for (tech) workers in the Netherlands be? A 15-hour work week? Worker co-ops? Fully automated luxury queer space communism? Strategic change requires a vision. Techwerkers has been germinating for a bit now as a community for people in tech in the Netherlands. A bunch of workers feel it’s time to step up and formulate more clearly what real material changes we want to see. You’re needed in all this!\nShare your vision\nAnthropic’s revenue will compose 100% of global GDP by 2028. Can’t argue with facts. Upcoming events # Join one of the upcoming events to meet up with other tech workers:\n2 June, 5:30-6:30 pm - Techwerkers Vision formulation (option 1), online 4 June, 3:00-4:00 pm - Techwerkers Vision formulation (option 2), online 5 June, 3:00-3:30 pm - Friday Fika, online 7 June, 2:00-4:00: Walk in the Japanese Gardens, The Hague 8 June, 7:00 pm: Organizing meetup, online 9 June: National Data Center Day 2026, ‘s Hertogenbosch or Amsterdam (btw are you attending the open day? Come chat 😉) 12 June, 3:00-3:30 pm - Friday Fika, online 19 June, 3:00-3:30 pm - Friday Fika, online 22 June, 7:00 pm: Organizing meetup, online 23 June, 7:00 pm: Book Club: The Art of War by Sun Tzu, online 26 June, 3:00-3:30 pm - Friday Fika, online Do you know of an event that fellow tech workers might be interested in? Add it to the calendar!\nReady for a safari tour through Wassenaar? On the radar # Some of the news items that tech workers have been following in the past month:\nIn a new advisory opinion, the International Court of Justice in Den Haag confirms that workers’ right to strike is protected under the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize Convention of 1948. This means that in collective negotiations with your boss, you have the protected right to withhold your labour as a pressure mechanism. Labour unions FNV, CNV and VCP confirmed that workers across sectors are planning nationwide strikes if the Dutch government proceeds with cuts to social security, including to unemployment benefits (WW), disability benefits (WIA), and state pension (AOW). Industrial action is due to kick off on 24 June with a strike by public transport workers. Using the pressure tactic of an 18-day strike, the Samsung Electronics Labor Union negotiated an agreement to share the company’s operating profits with its workers and guarantee annual raises for the coming 10 years. Samsung workers won their share of the company’s profits After months of dithering, the Dutch government has finally blocked the US takeover of the Dutch online authentication system DigiD. It should never have come this far. The Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens (Dutch data protection authority) appoints Geert Potjewijd, a lawyer who’s represented big tech companies including TikTok, Meta, and Uber against claims of data misuse, as its new chair. Hence don’t count on authorities when it comes to protecting your data. Speaking of protecting your data, how about scheduling a digital cleanup for June? The Tech Reclaimers Club has some pointers on how to reclaim control over your digital life, devices, services and data. Workers’ nervousness about the impact of AI on their jobs, life, and future is fertile ground for populism, British author Joseph Gelfer warns. Can you step in? If you’re looking for inspiration, the AI Resist List is a list with 30+ examples of actions that you can take to push back against AI. Even Pope Leo XIV has spoken out against AI, in their 40,000+ word treatise Magnifica Humanitas. (Here’s a summary if you’re in a rush.) The Pope’s condemning AI opens the way for anyone who holds the Roman Catholic religion to claim conscientious objection to working with generative AI. It\u0026rsquo;s literally the head of the Catholic church who says so. In a time where streaming platforms are killing music, what could be better than good old peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing? Some tech workers recently set up FriendNet server to spread the joy. Reach out if you’d like to get involved! In memoriam Karin Spaink (1957-2026), founder of Bits of Freedom 🖤 In their final blog post, Spaink writes: “I mostly wish you lots of love, courage, wisdom and meaningful resistance in the tough times ahead, both politically and ecologically, and also in terms of fake news, surveillance and AI. Know that you never have to give (or tolerate) more than you personally want to or can bear. You’re always allowed to set your own limits, and live by those – or die for them.”\nKarin Spaink in 1991 (pic by Gon Buurman) Articles of note # Tech workers discussed the following articles during recent book club meetups:\nThe Fetishism of AI # Monthly Review, May 2026\nJohn Bellamy Foster argues that under ‘computational capitalism’ (hey, another flavour of capitalism!), such a large portion of the global economy is enmeshed with the AI and data centre hype, such that when—not if—the bubble bursts, it’ll drag the rest of the economy with it into a global recession; all the while it doesn’t even create anything of material value.\nAt the 20th Collective Study Session of the CCP Central Committee Politburo, Xi Jinping Stresses: Persist in Being Self-Reliant, Be Strongly Oriented Toward Applications, and Push the Orderly Development of Artificial Intelligence # Xinhua News Agency, April 2025\nThe study session concluded that AI technology can be a public good that enriches humanity, as long is it’s used for discovery in science and technology, paired with stimulating education at all levels, and takes place within an internationally agreed set of (global) governance frameworks, standards, and norms.\nThat\u0026rsquo;s it for now!\nIs there something you’d like to share, like a cool book, inspiring video, or cute anti-capitalist cat meme? Yes please! Send it to hey@techwerkers.nl, or drop a message on Mastodon, LinkedIn, Bluesky, or Instagram.\n","date":"1 June 2026","permalink":"/en/posts/2026-06/","section":"News","summary":"In this month’s update: what happened on Labour Day, upcoming events and news about tech unionizing around the world. Also: what’s your vision for the future? You can help shape the Techwerkers long-term strategy ✨","title":"Labour Day recap, contribute to big picture strategy, and more | June 2026"},{"content":"Labour Day 2026 # Join Techwerkers this Friday 1 May, 1:00 pm at Museumplein in Amsterdam to celebrate Labour Day! Test your meshcore device, play a game of AI bingo, browse through stickers and zines, or just chat with other people in tech in the Netherlands. Will you be there? 😀\nLong-term agency work? Permanent contract! # Have you been doing agency work with the same company for 36 months or more? Then you’re entitled to a permanent contract. A court in The Hague came to this verdict in a case brought by worker Paweł Rudzki against supermarket chain Albert Heijn.\nPaweł Rudzki, who won a lawsuit against Albert Heijn (pic by Doorbraak.eu) Rudzki had been working for Albert Heijn since June 2018, but always through an agency (which also withheld part of his wages). However, European law states that agency work must be temporary, not permanent. This means that Albert Heijn misused agency work to avoid giving workers a permanent contract. Albert Heijn must now give Rudzki a permanent contract and all the wages he has missed out on since 2021.\nHave you been working through an agency or on a temporary contract for longer than 36 months? Then this ruling has consequences for you as well. Need some help asserting your rights? Contact Techwerkers.\nUpcoming events # Want to hang out with other tech workers? Join one of the upcoming events:\n1 May, 1:00 pm - Labour Day with Techwerkers! Museumplein, Amsterdam 8 May, 3:00-3:30 pm - Friday Fika, online 9 May, 1:00 pm - Actifest, Amsterdam (external event) 9 May, 8:30 am - Attend Dutch Clojure Days together, Weesp (external event) 11 May, 7:00 pm - Organizing meetup, online 15 May, 3:00-3:30 pm - Friday Fika, online 18-23 May - Attend Rust Week together, Utrecht (external event) 22 May, 3:00-3:30 pm - Friday Fika, online 25 May, 7:00 pm - Organizing meetup, online 26 May, 7:00 pm - Book club (title to be confirmed), online 29 May, 3:00-3:30 pm - Friday Fika, online Keep an eye on the events calendar for the latest info.\nNew resource # Getting fired? Here is what you need to do to get a shit ton of money # Your bosses will always try to squeeze every last bit of value out of you as a worker. Here\u0026rsquo;s how to do the same if you\u0026rsquo;re at risk of getting fired. This article was too hot 🔥 for Reddit.\nRead the article →\nWhat do you really want from your washing machine? On the radar # The following news items were on the Techwerkers radar recently:\nDutch companies must offer wage transparency to prospective and current workers, starting 1 June 2026. Fascism is funded by big tech money, and more insights from the recent Cables of Resistance conference in Berlin (in German). Is the tide turning? Fintech company TradeRepublic says goodbye to AI chatbots and hires 1,000 workers for its customer support. Zero-hour contracts will be banned in the Netherlands from 1 January 2027 onwards. Microsoft will correct geographical references to Palestine on the maps across all its platforms, and remove misleading names for the West Bank, Palestinian think tank 7amleh reports. Highly sensitive medical data of likely at least 218,000 people in the Netherlands (ca. 1.2% of the population) was captured in a ransomware attack on ChipSoft, which delivers software to Dutch healthcare institutions. No fine or operational ban on the company has been confirmed. How difficult is it to break free from tech giants? Get started yourself, or together with Techwerkers! That’s all for now. See you on May Day! ✊\n","date":"28 April 2026","permalink":"/en/posts/2026-may/","section":"News","summary":"An invitation to celebrate Labour Day together, your rights regarding long-term agency work, how to get a shit ton of money if you’re at risk of being laid off, plus activities and news for tech workers.","title":"Join Labour Day celebrations, get tons of money, and more | May 2026"},{"content":"On the 1st of May, workers all over the world celebrate Labour Day (c\u0026rsquo;mon Netherlands, where\u0026rsquo;s that national holiday‽). Techwerkers is joining in too, and you\u0026rsquo;re invited! Come to the Techwerkers table at Museumplein in Amsterdam, starting at 1:00pm.\nHere\u0026rsquo;s what to expect:\nTest your mesh! Bring your meshcore device and test it out in the wild with other workers. Setup support will also be on hand AI bingo: Take a break from the so-called \u0026lsquo;AI\u0026rsquo; hype. Turn your boss and managers\u0026rsquo; clichés to good use with a game of AI implementation bingo. Zines \u0026amp; stickers on safe(r) communication, tips for organizing at work, and much more. And of course a friendly, low-key occasion to chat and meet other people in tech in the Netherlands.\nAre you joining? 😀\nAdd the event to your calendar.\n","date":"22 April 2026","permalink":"/en/posts/labour-day-2026/","section":"News","summary":"Come and celebrate May Day with Techwerkers.","title":"A day off on 1 May! Meet up with Techwerkers on Labour Day"},{"content":"Who this is for # This guide is aimed at people who are at risk of losing their job due to alleged performance issues or a disturbed working relationship. It might still be useful for other cases (such as long-term sickness), but those bring additional complexity, so I will leave them out of focus here. It does not apply to cases that would be a ground for immediate dismissal (like fraud).\nDisclaimer: This document deals with legal issues and is intended to provide an informational resource only. Tech Workers Coalition doesn't in any way provide legal advice, so don't rely on this document as though it would constitute legal advice. HR invites you to a meeting # So, you\u0026rsquo;ve been kicking ass in your role, but suddenly the walls close in and HR invites you to a meeting. In this meeting they either put you on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP), or immediately tell you that they want you gone.\nA word about PIP # Let’s get PIP out of the way first. What you need to know is: even if you fail a PIP (and some people do survive PIPs), the company can’t fire you. They would still need to go to court, and a failed PIP is just a piece of evidence in such a court case. Out of all failed PIPs that end up in court, only 20% result in a judge granting the approval for the dismissal. So it is incredibly hard for the company to make a convincing PIP – it needs to be objective, measurable, demonstrate that you were given enough opportunity to improve your performance, etc.\nIf you are put on a PIP, cooperate with the company, but still highlight any things like unclear targets, unrealistic schedules, etc. The point is not to argue with the company, but have a paper trail for the court that you have voiced your concerns and they were ignored.\nYou\u0026rsquo;re offered a settlement # But let’s say you have failed PIP or it was not even offered, and now you are in a room with HR and hear something like:\n“We are sorry this is not working out. We have a very strong case to dismiss you, and while we could go to court, we have decided to show appreciation for all of your hard work over the years, so we are willing to offer you this amazing settlement of 2 months salaries if you quit yourself now”.\nkeep in mind that HR is paid for misleading you At this point the company wants you gone and you need to keep in mind that HR is paid for misleading you and taking advantage of you (every euro saved for the company is a euro that you are not getting). So you need to learn how to decipher HR-speak and understand what they are really saying. Luckily, it is super easy: you just reverse whatever they tell you and you get:\n“We don’t care about you. We have no case to dismiss you and we don’t want to go to court, so here is the shittiest deal we could think of and we hope you take it”.\nSo \u0026hellip; what do you do?\nWhy they offer you a settlement # Now, and here is the key part, you need to understand why they are offering you a deal (vaststellingsovereenkomst). I mean, let’s imagine it’s a big company with a ton of lawyers. Surely they have gone to court hundreds of times before and have some kind of a repeatable internal process, right?\ngoing to court takes a shit ton of time and generally the company will have a very low chance to win The truth is simple: going to court takes a shit ton of time and the company needs to have a really, really strong case to win it. I’ve talked about PIP already, and other options (like disturbed relationship) are even harder for the company to win: they\u0026rsquo;d have to show they have really tried all other options to fix the situation before trying to dismiss you (think 6 months of logs of various attempts to fix it). Bullshit restructuring like “we decided to restructure this department and want to fire only this one person” also won’t fly with the court or Uitvoeringsinstituut Werknemersverzekeringen (UWV).\nSo generally the company will have a very low chance to win if they want to fire you for a alleged performance issues or a disturbed working relationship. And even if they were to win eventually, the whole process would take a lot of time – that’s why you are being offered a deal.\nTime is (literally) money # Let’s talk about time before we finally jump back into our conversation with HR. Your worst case scenario (you lose in court) timelines are:\nPIP, if they offer it (2 months min, 6 months for a proper one) going to court (3-4 months) your notice period (usually it is 1 calendar month, so anywhere between 1-2 months). So if you do nothing and lose in court, you have like a 6 months paid buffer already, without taking any deals. You really need to understand and internalize this knowledge, because it will be a foundation for our negotiation strategy.\nBack to our HR convo. Thank them for their offer. Say that you also would like to skip the court stuff and arrive at a fair settlement. Ask for some time to review it. Don’t sign anything until you have a settlement that you are 100% happy with. If you get pressured into signing a bad deal, you still have 14 days to change your mind (wettelijke bedenktijd).\nAt this point nobody wants you in the company, so you will be likely put on a garden leave. Now you are in the perfect position: they want you gone as soon as possible, and you are getting paid and doing nothing.\nWho needs a strategy? Just ask for money! # Take a week or two to \u0026rsquo;think\u0026rsquo; about their offer. You are allowed to take \u0026lsquo;reasonable\u0026rsquo; time and they can’t pressure you with stuff like “you have to reply by X date or we take the offer away” (well, technically they could, but this won’t fly in court).\nAfter the two weeks, come back with a crazy counter-offer: ask for the stars, like 18 months salary + extra stock + extra pension + whatever you can think of. They came to you with the shittiest offer, you need to counter with the best one.\nThey will reply with something like “you can’t seriously think we will accept this offer”, tell them you won’t accept theirs and propose them to counter. Once they counter, take another week or two to think about it, rinse and repeat – you just bought yourself a month or two of free salary.\nAt some point you will probably hit a perceived wall, likely around 4-6 months of salary, although it really depends on the company. 4-6 months of salary is not a bad deal, taking your expected timelines into account, so if you are happy with this number and want to save some effort, you should take it.\nHowever, if you are up for the fight, now is the time to put up the pressure.\nBringing the fight back to them # You see, all these months that you were negotiating, you were on garden leave. And while you know that your employment contract creates an obligation for you to perform work, you might not be aware that under Dutch laws it also gives you the right to perform your job (see: example court case that confirms this). Your employment contract gives you the right to work, so it is time to start repeatedly asking to return to work.\nThat ship has already sailed and everyone has moved on, so the company really will not want to do it. Keep asking, your messaging should be “either take my settlement offer or let me return to my work”. This is a risky strategy, because the company might retaliate: for example, if you were working hybrid, they might ask you to come to the office 5 days a week.\nthere\u0026rsquo;s a lot you can do without breaking any rules You need to remain polite, collaborative and keep in mind that everything might end up in court one day. So you can’t say “eat shit, I won’t do it” but you can (and should!) ask for an explanation or the grounds for their decisions – you will get bullshit answers and that is actually very good for you if you go to court.\nIn the meantime, you will have to comply and find creative ways to make them feel your continued presence in the process without breaking any rules. For example, you could start going to office every day and sharing all the details about your situation and HR conversations with everyone in the office, stuff like that.\nIt might seem that the company has all the power in this situation, but there is a lot you can do without breaking any rules or procedures.\nBack to the negotiation table # Provided that you complied and have a good paper trail of the company’s bullshit, you can now play your cards straight: “Guys, we can continue this circus and go to court. It will take another 6 months and now with all the extra evidence I have, I\u0026rsquo;m sure I will win the case. I am up for it, but I’d rather we arrive at settlement agreement that fairly reflects this situation.” Now it’s up to you to lock in the final number. Somebody who is absolutely not me once got 11 months, and I\u0026rsquo;ve heard higher numbers.\nIf you are in the Netherlands on a visa, you need to ask to make this a period of garden leave with a condition that if you find a job sooner, the company will pay you the remaining amount in cash. Do check the conditions of your visa: if being in active employment is a condition on your working visa, you might need to leave the country within a certain number of days. If you aren\u0026rsquo;t on a visa, ask for the cash and terminate the employment as soon as possible, so you can apply for unemployment benefits (WW-uitkering) if you need them.\nAlso make sure some lawyer costs are included in the agreement, and once you have the final version you are happy with, take it to a lawyer for a legal check before signing anything.\nSome random advice # About lawyers: I went to one and they offered to negotiate on my behalf for 3-4 months\u0026rsquo; of salary for the cost of a tiny €10K retainer. I’ve politely declined and negotiated myself, then paid a different lawyer to check the final agreement. They did not discover anything interesting, but it was good for the peace of mind. Legal insurance: Legal insurance sucks, I won’t recommend it: they are super slow to answer (think 1-2 replies a week), constantly looking for bullshit reasons to deny the claim and are in general quite useless. Maybe I was unlucky with mine (ARAG), but both lawyers told me “there is no good legal insurance in the Netherlands”. Fired after following company procedures: If you have followed some internal company procedures or guidelines that resulted in you getting fired (for example, you filed an HR complaint against a colleague and the company decided to let you go), you are golden: I\u0026rsquo;ve talked with an actual judge who deals with employment disputes, and they told me that no judge in the NL will allow to punish an employee for following the company\u0026rsquo;s policies or procedures. Whistleblowing: This one is a bit out there, but I highly recommend reading through the Dutch Whistleblower Protection Act (Wet bescherming klokkenluiders). The amount of protection it creates for you as a whistleblower (even if it turns out you were wrong!) is just crazy. Language: Be mindful of the language, both yours and the company\u0026rsquo;s. Assume everything will be read by a judge. Also assume that HR will use the language against you: a common example will be telling you to do something with wording like \u0026ldquo;We would prefer if you would bla-bla-bla\u0026rdquo;. Don\u0026rsquo;t hesitate to ask them to clarify: \u0026ldquo;Am I legally required to do it, or is it just your preference?\u0026rdquo;. Mediation: The company might call in a mediator. Kinda like a couples therapy, only nobody wants to do it, and it is completely useless. Sometimes used as a scare tactic by companies, don\u0026rsquo;t be afraid of them - totally harmless and useless peeps. Do you have any questions? Feel free to get in touch!\n","date":"16 April 2026","permalink":"/en/resources/negotiation/","section":"Resources","summary":"","title":"Getting fired? Here is what you need to do to get a shit ton of money"},{"content":"All things long-term illness (langdurige ziekte) in the Netherlands are covered by the Ziektewet.\nThis resource discusses the sections in the Ziektewet that cover long-term illness. It addresses what counts as long-term illness, what your rights and obligations are when you\u0026rsquo;ve been ill for a while, and provides answers to some frequently asked questions.\nAny steps taken while you\u0026rsquo;re ill should always focus on supporting your health. Understanding your rights, obligations, and processes for long-term illness is key for your future.\nDisclaimer: This document deals with legal issues and is intended to provide an informational resource only. Tech Workers Coalition doesn't in any way provide legal advice, so don't rely on this document as though it would constitute legal advice. A personal note # Are you currently not feeling your 100% normal self? Then go see your general practitioner (GP, huisarts). This resource will be here when you get back. Look after your own health first before worrying about admin and processes.\nAre you feeling overwhelmed by the amount of information in this resource? Then you\u0026rsquo;re a normal human being. There\u0026rsquo;s a lot to digest here, so take your time. If you need support, reach out to hey@techwerkers.nl and a fellow worker will try to point you in the right direction.\nTerminology # Term Other names Description Arbo-arts Occupational health physician The term \u0026lsquo;arbo-arts\u0026rsquo; is sometimes mistakenly used to refer to a bedrijfsarts (company doctor). An arbo-arts is a health care professional that can work under the supervision of a company doctor. They aren\u0026rsquo;t allowed to perform independent medical assessments. Arbodienst Working conditions service Health and safety service A broad term for a collection of services that a company may provide under the heading of health and wellness, often with the thought of reducing operational risks. Although not mandatory, many large companies hire external providers for managing their arbodienst. Many arbodienst companies provide not only a bedrijfsarts but also others services, such as additional counseling services, wellness plans, risk management, and the like. If your company wants to change its arbodienst provider, and if you have a works council, then your works council must be asked for consent on any such change. Bedrijfsarts Company doctor A primary care doctor, paid by the employer who works in conjunction with a worker \u0026ndash; their patient. A company doctors focus is on their patients health, and is obliged to keep the workers medical information private, and not share it with the company that pays for their services. The company doctor evaluates and reports back an advice to the company on their patients capabilities to perform their regular duties. Company doctors are chosen by the company and, if there\u0026rsquo;s a works council, the company\u0026rsquo;s works council. Employee Patient Individual Werknemer This resource uses the term \u0026rsquo;employee\u0026rsquo; when referring to contracts or the employee-employer relationship. \u0026lsquo;Patient\u0026rsquo; will be used in conjunction with healthcare related information. Employer Company Workplace Werkgever The registered company with which the employee has a signed contract to perform their work duties Huisarts General practitioner (GP) Home doctor A primary care doctor who\u0026rsquo;s often the first point of contact when someone\u0026rsquo;s ill and requires medical support. A GP can be involved in diagnosing and treating medical conditions, as well as referring to specialists for further support and treatment \u0026ndash; this can include physical (such as orthopedic) and mental (such as therapy) treatments. GPs must keep their patient\u0026rsquo;s medical information private, though they can share it with third parties with the patient\u0026rsquo;s consent. In the Netherlands people can choose their own GP. Illness Sickness Anything that prevents someone from performing their regular duties Illness period A period of time that spans from the first day that someone\u0026rsquo;s declared ill to their last day of illness. An illness period can include multiple different illnesses, for example the flu and then a broken leg. Illness period, first day of The first day that the employee was unable to perform their regular duties. (Burgerlijk Wetboek 7:629 lid 1) ℹ️ Note: Illness during vacation should be transferred to sick leave, and as such the first day of illness might be whilst someone is on vacation.\nIllness period, last day of The day at which an employee who was previously registered sick has worked at 100% of their regular duties for 4 weeks without interruption. (Burgerlijk Wetboek 7:629 lid 10) Medical information Patient dossier Private medical information Medical details Medical information includes, among other things:DiagnosisTreatments or therapies and the contents thereofDetails of conversations at medical appointmentsAnything you\u0026rsquo;d share in private with your doctor is very likely medical information. Obligation Something that\u0026rsquo;s required, whether you like it or not. For example, you\u0026rsquo;re obliged to tell your employer you\u0026rsquo;re calling in sick, unless it\u0026rsquo;s physically impossible for you to do so. Occupational impairment Arbeidsongeschikt You have an occupational impairment if the prognosis of an illness results in a permanent reduction in a your ability to perform 100% of your regular duties. In other words: illness without full recovery. Occupational impairment is usually measured in a percentage of the person\u0026rsquo;s inability to perform their regular duties. 40% occupationally impaired, implies you can work at 60% of your original capacity Personeelshandboek Employee handbook Company policy An optional document that details the rules and procedures on how things are done at a particular company. For example, it may describe how to request leave, call in sick, or report an incident. Plan of action Plan van aanpak The plan is generated and agreed upon between the employee and the employer based on outputs from the company doctor. It should contain a plan of action about the reintegration trajectory. Basic principles: Work tasks should remain relevant to your original job description. For example, you can\u0026rsquo;t be required to mop floors if that wasn\u0026rsquo;t part of your job.It should ideally be a step for step plan for the re-integration with goal dates, not with target dates.You may agree to additional company provided therapy, counciling, etc, but you are under no obligation to do so.Some employers may be pushy for dates about when you\u0026rsquo;ll return to work. The reality is that health doesn\u0026rsquo;t work that way. Take the plan of action one step at a time, and revise with your employer when needed. Recovered When a person who was declared as ill is now able to perform 100% of their regular duties, and has done so for at least 4 consecutive weeks. Regular duties Work duties Job tasks The definition of the work in the employee\u0026rsquo;s contract. What would be expected in a normal day of work, including the hours of work. 100% regular duties implies working at the contracted hours (for example 32 hours if that is stated in the contract). UWV Uitvoeringsinstituut Werknemersverzekeringen Employee Insurance Agency The government department that is responsible for evaluating eligibility for, and eventually paying, a number of collectively provided benefits. UWV checks that companies follow the correct procedures when applying for benefits, and will hold companies accountable if processes aren\u0026rsquo;t followed correctly. Verzekeringarts Insurance doctor This doctor works at the UWV and is responsible for evaluating how the patient has been handled during the long-term illness trajectory. WIA benefit WIA-uitkering, from Wet werk en inkomen naar arbeidsvermogen Sickness benefit The WIA benefit is specifically for people who are occupationally impaired, either fully or partially. When a person is declared as occupationally impaired, they generally receive a portion (or all) of their future income from the WIA benefit. This benefit is paid from collective provisions, instead of through the employer. Note that the UWV often rejects applications for WIA benefits from people who are still able to work at 65% or more of their previous capacity (less than 35% occupationally impaired). WW benefit WW-uitkering, from Werkloosheidswet Unemployment benefit The general unemployment benefit for individuals without paid work in the Netherlands. Ziektewet Sickness benefit act The law that encompasses what happens when someone is declared ill. This covers, amongst others, long-term illness. It provides protections for both businesses and individuals. I\u0026rsquo;m not okay, what should I do? # As a human being writing this document: that honestly sucks. Let\u0026rsquo;s figure this one out:\nNotify: Before anything else, tell your manager you\u0026rsquo;re calling in sick. Check your company policy on how to do so. If your manager is unavailable and you can\u0026rsquo;t find your company policy, check with a coworker. Make sure someone knows that you\u0026rsquo;re not working. Get help: Next, figure out what you need for yourself. Depending on the illness, you may want to reach out to your GP. For now, look after yourself. Company expectations during first days of illness can vary. It\u0026rsquo;s best practice clarify to your manager what they can expect from you over the coming days.\nCompany policy may say that you need to contact someone who\u0026rsquo;s actually contributed to your being unwell, for example a manager who\u0026rsquo;s assaulted you. If that\u0026rsquo;s the case, many companies have a trust person (vertrouwenspersoon) who you could contact. Alternatively, you could contact your manager\u0026rsquo;s manager, or someone in human resources (HR).\nNote that, although uncommon in tech, Dutch law allows companies to withold pay during the first 2 days of sick leave \u0026ndash; sometimes called wachtdagen. If so, this should be stated in the company policy.\nWhat is long-term illness? # Someone counts as being long-term ill if they\u0026rsquo;re unable to perform their regular duties for at least 4 weeks in a row. Some examples:\nYou\u0026rsquo;re a truck driver and you\u0026rsquo;ve broken your leg, which prevents you from driving for 2 months You\u0026rsquo;re undergoing cancer treatment and are unable to work as a result You\u0026rsquo;ve had a stroke and have been advised to not work You\u0026rsquo;re experiencing extreme stress due to which you\u0026rsquo;re unable to work In the Netherlands, time that someone isn\u0026rsquo;t able to work due to illness is paid by the employer. (Insurance companies will insure businesses from any losses they might incur as a result of long-term illness. As a worker you don\u0026rsquo;t need to worry about this.)\nA note on burnout # You can be long-term ill due to burnout. Unfortunately, burnout is all too common in the Netherlands, including at tech companies. High workloads, toxic culture, unrealistic expectations and transgressive behaviour can lead to an unhealthy work environment. But whether you\u0026rsquo;re working in construction or sitting behind a computer, you need a safe working environment.\nNote that \u0026lsquo;burnout\u0026rsquo; isn\u0026rsquo;t a generally recognized diagnosis term. Burnout can get classified as \u0026lsquo;generalised anxiety disorder\u0026rsquo;, \u0026lsquo;depression\u0026rsquo;, \u0026lsquo;insomnia\u0026rsquo;, or other diagnoses. While what you have should ideally only matter to you as a person, insurance companies might request an official diagnosis before covering treatment costs.\nMore information on burnout.\nYour rights and obligations during long-term illness # During long-term illness, specific events and actions must take place at specific times. Some of these obligations are on the employee, and some on the employer. Some are needed for you to be able apply for WIA benefit.\nRights # As an employee, you have at least the following general rights (non-exhaustive):\nRight to manage their own health Right to choose their own healthcare providers Right to a second opinion from an alternative company doctor, at the company\u0026rsquo;s expense Obligations # As an employee, you have at least the following general obligations (non-exhaustive):\nWork with your employer on the plan of action (the reintegration plan) in conjunction with advice from the company doctor Regularly meet with the employer, as per the plan of action Stick to any agreements made with the employer, usually as stated in the plan of action Work with the company doctor if any agreements with the employer can\u0026rsquo;t be met or are unachievable. For example, if treatment isn\u0026rsquo;t working as expected, the number of hours a week you work may have to be adjusted down. Participate in any required events, such as the Year 1 review or the End evaluation. The role of company doctors # A company doctor a primary care doctor paid by the employer. Their professional goal is for you to get well, so that you\u0026rsquo;re able to resume your regular work activities. Company doctors should observe strict patient-doctor confidentiality and shouldn\u0026rsquo;t share medical information with the employer.\nThe company doctor is, however, allowed to share non-medical information with your employer, concerning:\nYour capabilities and limitations, and the extent to which you\u0026rsquo;re able to work An indication as to how long they expect you to be absent Any advice regarding adjustments, work arrangements, or interventions that the employer should implement for you to be able to reintegrate For example, a company doctor may indicate to an employer:\n\u0026lsquo;It is unadvised for the patient to be working at this time. The next evaluation is on 25 June.\u0026rsquo; \u0026lsquo;The patient is undergoing a form of treatment which requires them to be absent from work for several hours, around 2-3 times a week.\u0026rsquo; \u0026lsquo;It is advised that the patient reintegrates by doing light, desk-based work for 10 hours a week.\u0026rsquo; \u0026lsquo;The patient is expected to be able to reintegrate over a period of 9 weeks. This is subject to change.\u0026rsquo; \u0026lsquo;The patient should not be expected to reintegrate at this time.\u0026rsquo; Again, the company doctor isn\u0026rsquo;t allowed to share your medical information without your consent.\nWho\u0026rsquo;s allowed to know my medical information? # The Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens (Dutch authority on the use of Personally Identifying Information, or PII) states on medical information:\n… no information from the medical file may be shared with others outside the practice or institution without the patient\u0026rsquo;s or client\u0026rsquo;s consent.\nThere are strict penalties in the Netherlands for accessing or sharing personal information without consent, a process that\u0026rsquo;s guarded by the Autoriteit Persoongegevens.\nThis means that you\u0026rsquo;re under no obligation to share medical information with your manager or boss.\nYou\u0026rsquo;re also under no obligation to share information with the company doctor. That said, providing your company doctor with relevant information may improve their ability to treat you. And like any other health care provider, company doctors are just as much required to keep your information confidential or they may face professional penalties.\nTimeline # If you\u0026rsquo;re long-term ill, certain events and actions need to take place at specific times. Here\u0026rsquo;s a diagram that gives a visual overview of what should happen when during the first two years of long-term illness:\nOverview of what needs to happen during year 1 and year 2 of long-term illness.\nThis section describes what should happen during the first two years of long-term illness.\nYou can also exit the long-term illness trajectory at any point before two years have passed.\nℹ️ Note: Keep specific dates (such as the first date of the illness, appointment dates with company doctors) in a calendar somewhere. Having a record of what happened when can help you, especially during the latter stages of long-term illness.\nYear 1 # Timeline Description Responsibility of Day 0 First day of illness First day of illness or reporting in sick. This generally involves talking to your manager or informing someone at your company. If you\u0026rsquo;re unsure what the process is, check with a colleague or your company policy. Employee Week 1\nContact with the company doctor Usually someone at your company will inform the company doctor within the first week. The company doctor might reach out to you, or you may be given the company doctor\u0026rsquo;s contact information and be asked to reach out.\n⚠️ Important: Contact your company doctor in line with your company\u0026rsquo;s policies. Employee + Employer By week 6\nDelivery of problem analysis The company doctor should deliver a problem analysis of your long-term illness to the company. This can contain information such as:Cause of illness, that is, whether it\u0026rsquo;s home related, work related, or a combination (no medical information)What sort of work you can still do, and how much (if any)What the key next steps are in the reintegration trajectoryFuture outlook in terms of work tasks and ability to perform your regular duties Company doctor, in consultation with the employee By week 8, or within 2 weeks of the problem analysis\nPlan of action delivered Employee and employer agree on a plan of action, generally based on the input from the company doctor. This can include:\nAdjustments to work tasks, such as no heavy liftingAdjustments to working hoursAdjustments to the working environment, for example a different chair, better ventilationAdditional company-provided treatment or therapies.Additional company-provided counseling or training, if applicable ℹ️ Note: Adjustments to working hours can mean 100% staying at home and rehabilitating. ℹ️ Note: The employer isn\u0026rsquo;t legally required to follow the advice of the company doctor. However, they generally do, as the company doctor\u0026rsquo;s recommendations are used if disputes happen later in the trajectory. Employee + Employer Week 8 until the exit from long-term illness, every 6 weeks at a minimum Evaluation meetings Meeting to assess how the reintegration trajectory is going in light of the plan of action. What\u0026rsquo;s working, what isn\u0026rsquo;t, do you require any adjustments?\nIf, for whatever reason, the plan of action isn\u0026rsquo;t working, then you need to contact the company doctor and follow their advice.\n⚠️ Important: You\u0026rsquo;re required to be present in these catch-up meetings (within reason). The employer must ensure the meetings take place at suitable times. Employee + Employer Week 42\nIllness declared to UWV Generally the government agency called \u0026lsquo;P-Direkt\u0026rsquo; reports your long-term illness to the UWV. If P-Direkt doesn\u0026rsquo;t perform this task, then the employer needs to do so. Employer Weeks 44-48\nPrepare for year 1 evaluation The UWV informs the employer about the process of the year 1 evaluation. The employer gets relevant information and advice from the company doctor and submits that to UWV. Employer By week 52\nYear 1 evaluation You\u0026rsquo;ll meet with your employer to evaluate your reintegration trajectory \u0026ndash; what works, what doesn\u0026rsquo;t, what the future entails \u0026ndash; along with feedback from the company doctor. The focus is on your capability to perform your regular work duties. The conversation will likely include questions along the lines of:\nAre you likely to reintegrate at all? If not, could you consider applying for early WIA benefit?Can you likely reintegrate into your current role? If not, can you reintegrate into another role at the same company? (Eerste spoor)If not, can you reintegrate into a similar role at another company? (Tweede spoor)What is the plan of action for the coming year? ⚠️ Important:This conversion should only concern your ability to perform your regular work tasks, and shouldn\u0026rsquo;t consider specific medical details. The company doctor can advise what your capabilities are without providing medical information.\nℹ️ Note: The year 1 evaluation reports is supplied as evidence to the UWV at the end of the 2-year period. Employee + Employer Week 52+\nSalary reduction likely Dutch law requires companies in the Netherlands to pay at minimum 70% of your salary for the whole 2-year period of long-term illness. That said, it\u0026rsquo;s common for companies to pay 100% of your salary for most if not all of the first year, and then reduce that to 70% from the start of year 2. (They\u0026rsquo;re also allowed to pay 100% for the whole 2 years.) Check your company policy for details. Employer Additional company benefits # Why might a company offer additional training, therapy, or other treatments when you\u0026rsquo;re ill? Two core reasons:\nThey are genuinely nice people at the company who care about your health There\u0026rsquo;s a salary-sized fiscal incentive, as the company is required to pay your wages while you\u0026rsquo;re away on sick leave ⚠️ Important: That your company pays for any additional resources does not mean they\u0026rsquo;re entitled to your medical information. To be explicit: if your company is paying for a psychologist, they\u0026rsquo;re in no way entitled to information about any of the conversations you had. That would be a severe breach of privacy, professional confidentiality, and data protection duties.\nYear 2 # Timeline Description Responsibility of From week 8, continued every 6 weeks at a minimum Evaluation meetings Meetings to evaluate how your reintegration is going in light of the plan of action continue. The content of the discussions may change though in year 2. If it\u0026rsquo;s unlikely that you\u0026rsquo;ll return to a role at your current company (a trajectory called \u0026lsquo;eerste spoor\u0026rsquo;), then alternatives (so-called \u0026lsquo;tweede spoor\u0026rsquo;) may be discussed and your plan of action might get adjusted. Employee + Employer By week 68 Deadline to apply for early WIA benefit If it\u0026rsquo;s clear that you won\u0026rsquo;t be able to return to your role (for example due to terminal illness), then you can apply early for the WIA benefit. Your application needs to be in by week 68. Employee + Company doctor Weeks 86 to 93 Start compiling end evaluation If it\u0026rsquo;s clear that you\u0026rsquo;re unlikely to return to your role, then you can now start creating an end evaluation. The end evaluation gives an overview of the reintegration process, along with some documents produced along the way. This includes the year 1 evaluation, as well as your medical dossier compiled by the company doctor. You\u0026rsquo;ll submit the end evaluation and accompanying documents when applying for the WIA benefit. The insurance doctor at the UWV evaluates the information to ensure that the diagnosis and treatments were within guidelines. Employee + Company doctor Week 88 The UWV notifies you to outline how you can apply for the WIA benefit. UWV By week 93 Apply for WIA benefit If you\u0026rsquo;re unlikely to reintegrate, and if you\u0026rsquo;re applying for WIA benefit, then you must now submit the end evaluation and accompanying documents to the UWV. The employer submits their application for a permit to end your contract, together with supporting evidence. In exceptional cases, the UWV can extend this deadline if you\u0026rsquo;re on a reintegration trajectory and are very likely to reintegrate before the end of the 2 year period. Employee + Employer Week 104 UWV decision known The UWV should by now have communicated: whether you\u0026rsquo;ll receive the WIA benefit or not whether your employer is allowed to end your contract unilaterally or not If the employer is allowed to unilaterally end your contract, then you\u0026rsquo;re now officially without a job. If your WIA benefit application got approved, then from now on you\u0026rsquo;ll paid directly by the UWV. ⚠️ Important: If you\u0026rsquo;re in the Netherlands on a work-related visa, check whether you\u0026rsquo;re still allowed to stay in the country. UWV After year 2 # The UWV must ensure that your employer has followed all the rules and regulations in the process of long-term illness correctly. If the UWV denies the employer\u0026rsquo;s request to unilaterally terminate your contract, then the UWV can require the employer to continue with the reintegration trajectory. This can happen for up to another 52 weeks, and is at the discretion of the UWV.\nDisputing the UWV\u0026rsquo;s decision # If the UWV permits your employer to unilaterally end your contract, but you believe they shouldn\u0026rsquo;t have, then you have the right to challenge the UWV\u0026rsquo;s decision.\nFor example, when requesting permission from the UWV to end your contract, the employer must provide certain documents as evidence. If you have indication that some of the documents that your employer submitted are incorrect, then you can argue that this invalidates their case. And that the employer\u0026rsquo;s request to be allowed to fire you shouldn\u0026rsquo;t be granted.\nIf you dispute the UWV\u0026rsquo;s decision and the UWV rules in your favour, then you keep your contract. You remain employed, the reintegration process will generally continue, and your boss must continue to pay you.\nℹ️ Note: Unsure whether your case was handled correctly? You might want to contact a labour lawyer.\nReasons why the UWV might reject the employer\u0026rsquo;s request # Some of the reasons why the UWV may deny the employer\u0026rsquo;s request to be allowed to unilaterally terminate your contract:\nEmployer has made insufficient efforts to facilitate your reintegration There are signs that you could still recover and reintegrate Evidence as to how occupationally impaired you are is unclear Your medical dossier, compiled by the company doctor, contains insufficient information to justify terminating your contract Procedural errors You\u0026rsquo;ve challenged the UWV\u0026rsquo;s earlier decision to allow the employer to terminate your contract, and the UWV agrees with your challenge Exiting long-term illness # You can exit the long-term illness trajectory in various ways:\nReintegration \u0026hellip; \u0026hellip; into your current company (Eerste spoor) \u0026hellip; into a different company (Tweede spoor) Employer terminates the contract Resigning? Generally not advised The following sections give more information on each of these options.\nThere\u0026rsquo;s no \u0026lsquo;correct\u0026rsquo; way to exit a long-term illness trajectory. Which path you take depends on many factors, and should always focus on what\u0026rsquo;s best for you given your personal circumstances.\nReintegration # Reintegration involves going back to formal, paid work in some form or other, and in some capacity or other\u0026mdash;whether that\u0026rsquo;s in your current role, a different role, at your current company or a different one.\nYour reintegration strategy should be part of the plan to action. You\u0026rsquo;re considered as having successfully reintegrated when you:\nAre working your agreed contracted hours Are performing your regular duties, or agreed adjusted duties Have been doing (1) and (2) for 4 consecutive weeks Eerste spoor: Reintegrate into current company # The Eerste spoor (roughly, \u0026lsquo;first track\u0026rsquo;) way of exiting a long-term illness trajectory involves reintegrating into the company where you\u0026rsquo;re currently working. Eerste spoor generally assumes a non-terminal disability, which could either be temporary or permanent. Examples of re-integrating through eerste spoor include:\nSituation Comment Reintegrate into your current role Bluntly put, \u0026lsquo;back to the day job\u0026rsquo;. Reintegrate into the same role, but in a different part of the business Mostly applicable if your illness was related to the specific work environment, and you work at a larger organization. For example, a project manager may experience high stress in one department, but might thrive doing the same work in a different department. Reintegrate into a different, equivalent role in the same company This could apply if a physical injury prevents you from doing your current job, and your work environment couldn\u0026rsquo;t be adjusted to suit this role specifically. For example, if an injury leaves you unable to walk. Reintegrate into the same role, but at a permanently reduced capacity Some illnesses can leave you at a permanently reduced capacity to work. For example, if you\u0026rsquo;ve experienced repeated concussions or strokes, at the end of the 2-year trajectory you may have the prognosis that you\u0026rsquo;ll be able to work at at most 70% capacity. Tweede spoor: Reintegrate into a different company # The Tweede spoor (second track) involves reintegrating into a different company. Your contract with the current company would end, and a new one at another company begins.\nIs this strange? It can actually make a lot of sense in certain situations. For example:\nYou work in a call centre. Your long-term illness is related to the subject matter of the calls, which induces anxiety and makes you relive past trauma. You\u0026rsquo;re reintegrating, but it\u0026rsquo;s clear that the work environment isn\u0026rsquo;t conducive to your recovery. In consultation with the company doctor, you start looking at job postings for call centre work at other companies where the subject matter doesn\u0026rsquo;t hamper your recovery. If a suitable position is found, then the tweede spoor has benefits to all the parties:\nYou get to work in an environment that suits you better. You\u0026rsquo;re likely allowed to continue your reintegration trajectory, and are less likely to require WIA or WW benefits. The previous company no longer has to pay your wages and facilitate the reintegration trajectory. The new company gets certain tax benefits and can get insurance to absorb the risk of onboarding someone who\u0026rsquo;s reintegrating from long-term illness. ⚠️ Important: You shouldn\u0026rsquo;t ever be pressured to apply for jobs in other companies during your reintegration. Only consider tweede spoor in consultation with the company doctor, never at the initiative of the employer.\nA note on reintegrating at a reduced capacity # If you\u0026rsquo;re still able to work to some extent, though not 100% of your prior hours, then you could consider reintegrating at a reduced capacity. This option for exiting the long-term illness trajectory might come up in conversation with the company doctor.\nNote, though, that the option to reintegrate at a reduced capacity might not be available in all cases. While the company must facilitate your reintegration, they aren\u0026rsquo;t required to offer you reduced hours if they can argue it wouldn\u0026rsquo;t be feasible.\nFor example: You\u0026rsquo;re reintegrating and the company doctor expects that you might be able to reach 60% of your previous capacity. The company, however, argues that they need someone at 80% capacity, otherwise it\u0026rsquo;ll negatively impact their business.\nIn this case, the UWV decides what happens to your contract.\nEmployer terminates the contract # If you fulfill your obligations as a worker who\u0026rsquo;s long-term ill (see: Timeline), it\u0026rsquo;s pretty much impossible for your employer to unilaterally end your contract during the first 2 years illness.\nYour employer can only unilaterally end your contract during long-term illness if the UWV gives them permission to do so. But the UWV has strict rules on when it\u0026rsquo;ll give such permission, and generally won\u0026rsquo;t do so during the first two years of illness.\nThe only exception to this is at the end of the long-term illness trajectory where the employer applies for a permit to unilaterally end the contract.\nAt the end of the 2 years, two applications made to the UWV:\nYou apply for the WIA Benefit The employer applies for a permit to end the contract unilaterally The UWV has the last say on whether the employer can end your contract or not.\nIf the UWV approved the employer\u0026rsquo;s request (though see here for some reasons they might not) and your WIA benefit application, then you\u0026rsquo;ll now get paid monthly by the UWV.\nℹ️ Note: You don\u0026rsquo;t resign at the end of the two-year process. Instead, assuming you applied and are eligible, you\u0026rsquo;ll transfer to receiving the WIA or WW benefits. So never resign if anyone in the company asks or pressures you to do so!\n⚠️ Important: Many work visas, such as the kennismigrant (knowledge migrant, highly-skilled migrant) visa, require you to be formally employed. When your contract ends, then you\u0026rsquo;re no longer formally employed. The WIA benefit is not seen as employment. Hence, you\u0026rsquo;re no longer meeting your work visa requirements. Without a valid visa, you may need to leave the country after two years of long-term illness.\nResigning? Don\u0026rsquo;t do it! (in most cases) # Your work environment itself may be anxiety-inducing and hampering your recovery. On top of that, the long-term illness reintegration process can be bureaucratic, and at times stressful. Especially if you\u0026rsquo;re not sure if obligations are being followed correctly. (This happens more often than it should.)\nAs a result, some people decide it\u0026rsquo;s just not worth the hassle to try to reintegrate. They want to cut the process short and resign.\nThink very carefully if you\u0026rsquo;re planning to resign!\nIf you resign, then you may become ineligible for the most important benefits available in the Netherlands for people who experience long-term illness or unemployment. Benefits that you\u0026rsquo;d be fully entitled to otherwise.\nHere\u0026rsquo;s why.\nThe WW and WIA benefits are designed to cover situations where you\u0026rsquo;re unable to work due to factors outside of your control. However, when you resign from a job, authorities in the Netherlands will frame that as you being able to work, but simply choosing not to do so. Choosing not to work is within your control. Hence, in the worst case scenario, resigning may leave you ineligible for the WIA or WW benefits that you\u0026rsquo;d normally be entitled to.\nOf course whether you resign or not is still a personal choice. There\u0026rsquo;s always a choice. Decide what\u0026rsquo;s best for you, and ideally discuss your choices with someone you trust and a healthcare provider.\nFAQ # How can I find my company\u0026rsquo;s sick leave policy? # Not all companies have a published policy, however if there is one, it should always be accessible on some intranet or document archive. If all else fails:\nAsk a coworker Ask someone in HR Ask your manager Will people think I\u0026rsquo;m just on a paid vacation? # People might think that, but they\u0026rsquo;re wrong and it couldn\u0026rsquo;t be any further from the truth. Some people lack empathy in these situations, and they just may not know how to interact in that case. The reality is, if you\u0026rsquo;re ill and can\u0026rsquo;t work, then you need time to recover\u0026mdash;as would anyone else in those circumstances.\nCan my doctor say I\u0026rsquo;m not allowed to work? # You might feel you need to ask your doctor: \u0026lsquo;Am I allowed to work?\u0026rsquo;. However, it\u0026rsquo;s not for a doctor to give or refuse permission to work like that to their patients.\nWhat doctors, and any other healthcare provider, can do is give you personal advice on what\u0026rsquo;s best for your treatment. For example, they might say: \u0026lsquo;I would recommend you take at least 3 weeks rest to recover\u0026rsquo;, and state how (not) following their advice could affect your treatment. Hence as a patient, it\u0026rsquo;s more helpful to ask your healthcare provider what sort of activities you can best do and avoid, and for how long, given the specific treatment you\u0026rsquo;re undergoing.\nHow can I be 30% occupationally impaired (arbeidsongeschikt)? # The extent to which you\u0026rsquo;re impaired can vary depending on what specific illness you have and the expected prognosis. For example, you may have suffered an acquired brain injury (such as a stroke) which leaves you still able to work, but at a reduced capacity.\nMy manager keeps giving me random medical advice. What should I do? # In general, your manager shouldn\u0026rsquo;t have medical details of your illness.\nFrom a social perspective, maybe they\u0026rsquo;re trying to be overly helpful? If the advice is unwelcome, you can tell them that you appreciate that they\u0026rsquo;re trying to help, but that it\u0026rsquo;s not helping you right now. If that doesn\u0026rsquo;t resolve the situation, then you can escalate matter internally, for example by speaking to HR.\nCan my boss or line manager ask about my diagnosis? # No. Really no.\nThey can ask \u0026lsquo;When will you come back?\u0026rsquo;, or \u0026lsquo;What work will you be able to perform?\u0026rsquo;. But anything related to what illness you have, a specific diagnosis, or medical information, is a hard no.\nThe reality is that people are curious, however you\u0026rsquo;re under no obligation to share medical details with anyone in your company.\nIs my manager allowed to share my reintegration plan with my teammates? # Medical information: No. Your manager shouldn\u0026rsquo;t have medical details of your illness in the first place. And if they do, medical information is protected data and mustn\u0026rsquo;t be shared without your explicit consent.\nHowever, your manager can share information insofar as it\u0026rsquo;s relevant in the context of performing work duties. For example, it can be useful for your coworkers to know which tasks you\u0026rsquo;re picking up right now.\nInformation about where you are in your reintegration (such as how many hours you\u0026rsquo;re building up), are less relevant though. Discuss with your manager what you\u0026rsquo;re comfortable sharing.\nIs the company doctor allowed to share my medical details with the company? # Medical details: No.\nWhere it concerns their advice on what work duties you\u0026rsquo;re able to perform: Yes.\nFor example, the company doctor might have advised you that while you\u0026rsquo;re receiving certain medical treatment, it\u0026rsquo;s best for you not to perform your usual work duties. Only the company doctor\u0026rsquo;s advice should be communicated both to you (their patient) and your employer (the company), not any confidential medical information.\nMy GP and my company doctor disagree. Who\u0026rsquo;s right? # Your company doctor, GP, and any specialists you might be seeing are all heathcare providers. In theory, they should all have your well-being and recovery at heart.\nHowever, only the company doctor\u0026rsquo;s advice forms the direct input to your plan of action, which ultimately you and your employer should agree upon. Your company doctor can ask for additional information from your other healthcare providers, however this needs to be under strict written consent from you, the patient. The information should always be sent between the health care providers (there is a formal channel for this), and the patient shouldn\u0026rsquo;t be requested to gather this information directly.\nIf you\u0026rsquo;re concerned about the advice your company doctor is giving you, then you\u0026rsquo;re fully entitled to a second opinion from an alternative company doctor \u0026ndash; at the company\u0026rsquo;s expense.\nI disagree with my company doctor\u0026rsquo;s advice. What should I do? # You can get a second opinion fron an alternative company doctor. The employer is required to pay for it.\nCan the company doctor tell me to leave the company? # A company doctor can only advise; they\u0026rsquo;re not here to tell you what to do or not do.\nIf the cause of the illness is related to the work environment at the specific company, then the company doctor may suggest you consider Tweede Spoor, a trajectory where you\u0026rsquo;d reintegrate at a different company. But outright instructing you to leave the company? No.\nI\u0026rsquo;m reintegrating, but my health is getting worse. Can I go back to full sick leave? # Yes of course. Your reintegration should match what you are capable of doing. If you\u0026rsquo;re unable to work right now, then you shouldn\u0026rsquo;t be working right now. That said, it\u0026rsquo;s best practice to consult with your company doctor on any change you make. The Ziektewet requires you as a worker to consult with the company doctor and your employer at regular intervals, so make sure you meet those requirements.\nWhat happens if I was ill, recovered, and then got ill again with something else? # In the eyes of the Ziektewet, long-term illness is defined in terms of a long-term illness period, not by what illness you have. A long-term illness period starts on the first day of your sick leave, and automatically ends after you\u0026rsquo;ve worked 100% of your contracted work duties for 4 weeks in a row.\nIf a second illness occurs during those 4 weeks which prevents you from performing your regular duties, then in the eyes of the law it\u0026rsquo;s the same illness period \u0026ndash; regardless of whether the illness is something completely different form what you had before.\nFor example, say you\u0026rsquo;ve been reintegrating from burnout just gone back to working at 100%. If in week 3 you break a leg and need to go back to 20%, that technically counts as the same illness period, even though a broken leg is not the same as burnout.\nWhy does this matter? It matters, because after 2 years of illness, your employer can ask the UWV for permission to end your contract unilaterally.\nIn an extreme example, you may have been reintegrating over 22 months, went back to 100%, but then break your leg after 3 weeks. Your employer could now ask the UWV for permission to get rid of you if you\u0026rsquo;re not back at 100% within a matter of weeks.\nIf you\u0026rsquo;re in this situation, talk to your employer and company doctor. At their discretion, it might be possible to count the second illness as a separate illness period \u0026ndash; giving you space to recover instead of going on a fast-track to losing your job.\nI\u0026rsquo;m on probation or on a fixed-term contract. Does that make a difference? # Yes, and sadly not in the worker\u0026rsquo;s favour.\nEmployers can end your contract during the probation period, or not renew a fixed-term contract, without giving any reason whatsoever. This means that if you get ill during your probation period or while on a fixed-term contract, the employer can end your contract without you having recourse on the provisions provided through the Ziektewet.\nDepending on your circumstances, you may not even be entitled to the WW-benefit.\nThis absolutely sucks, especially given the rise in the use of short-term contracts, but it\u0026rsquo;s the reality of the law as it currently is.\nHow will long-term illness affect my work visa? # 🤷 What happens to your work visa at the end of the 2 year long-term illness trajectory really depends on the specifics of your visa. Many work visas require a condition of employment to remain valid. If you\u0026rsquo;ve been ill for 2 years, your employer can ask the UWV for permission to unilaterally end your contract. If the UWV gives that permission, then at the end of the 2 year period you\u0026rsquo;re officially without a job.\nTo be sure, check the specific requirements of your visa, maybe consult with the government immigration department (IND). And you might want to consult a labour lawyer too.\nThings aren\u0026rsquo;t going well. How can I escalate? # It depends on what the issue is:\nIf you have concerns about the advice given to you by your company doctor, you can ask for a second opinion, and the company will have to pay for it. If your manager is exhibiting transgressive behaviour, for example by trying to pressure you into working more than you\u0026rsquo;re able to, then you can escalate to HR. If you disagree with the UVW\u0026rsquo;s decision to give your employer permission to end your contract unilaterally, then you can mount a dispute. Also, keep a paper trail. If you feel you\u0026rsquo;re not being treated correctly, then ask for any requests in writing (email). If your manager doesn\u0026rsquo;t send you things in writing, you can create the paper trail yourself. Write up your own summary with your understanding of what was agreed, send it to your manager, and ask them to point out any errors. This way, you\u0026rsquo;re ensuring a paper trail exists even with uncooperative managers.\nWhere can I get legal advice? # Are you a member of a labour union? That\u0026rsquo;s a great place to start. Disputes have been happening for centuries, and in a union you can find other workers who support you. You might also be able to get a lawyer directly through your labour union, if needed.\nGet help # Still feeling stuck? Feel free to contact hey@techwerkers.nl and a fellow worker will try to give you some contacts.\n","date":"4 April 2026","permalink":"/en/resources/long-term-illness/","section":"Resources","summary":"","title":"Long-term illness in the Netherlands"},{"content":" Hustle culture ... Spotlight: Firing workers to pay for AI data centres, Oracle edition # On 31 March tech giant Oracle fired around 30,000 (!) workers globally, or around 18% of its entire workforce. Oracle\u0026rsquo;s is the largest layoff at a single company recorded on layoffs.fyi (data since 2020). (Incidentally, in the same week that these mass layoffs were announced, Iran\u0026rsquo;s Revolutionary Guards attacked an Oracle data centre in Dubai. Coincidence? 🤔 🙃)\nWhy does Oracle do this? In short, because the company needs cash. Oracle has committed to pumping an estimated $156 billion in capital spending into \u0026lsquo;AI infrastructure\u0026rsquo; such as data centres. But reportedly multiple US banks have refused to finance certain Oracle data centre projects. Not having to pay these workers would free up an estimated $8-10 billion in cash flow for Oracle.\nAnd where will Oracle\u0026rsquo;s data centres end up? Yes, also in The Netherlands. Data centres that raise energy bills, can lead to power outages, cause air, water, and noise pollution in the surrounding areas—and despite all the promises, have over and over again been shown not to create local jobs.\nAre you also not so chuffed with the decisions that these tech bosses are making right now? Get active within Techwerkers.\nUpcoming events # Want to hang out with other tech workers? Join one of the upcoming events:\n7 April, 7:00 pm - online: Book club: FNV 4 year plan 10 April, 2:00 pm - online: Join your works council! Adyen WoCo election 10 April, 3:00-3:30 pm - online: Friday Fika 13 April, 7:00 pm - online: Organizing meetup 14 April, 5:30-9:30 pm - PVH offices, Amsterdam: Works council (WoCo) Connection [external event] 15 April, 7:00 pm - online: Join your works council! Adyen WoCo election 17 April, 3:00-3:30 pm - online: Friday Fika 24 April, 3:00-3:30 pm - online: Friday Fika 26 April, 1:00 pm - details to be confirmed: Outdoor walk with Techwerkers 1 May, 1:00 pm - Amsterdam, Museumplein: Celebrate Labour Day with Techwerkers! 9 May - details to follow: ActiFest, Amsterdam More events are still in the works, so keep an eye on the events calendar for the latest info.\nWhat's the Strait of Hormuz at your workplace? New resources # A guide on what to do in case of long-term illness, and: does it make sense to get your HAM radio license in 2026?\nLong-term illness in the Netherlands # Navigating long-term illness in the Netherlands. What are your rights, obligations, and how does this whole thing work?\nRead the guide\nDoomsday with Xan: Should you become an amateur radio operator? # Tech worker Xan discusses whether there\u0026rsquo;s any point in getting started as an amateur radio operator (in Dutch).\nWatch the stream\nOn the radar # Port workers associated with FNV union unanimously voted to use strike action over politicians\u0026rsquo; plans to steal around €44 billion from workers by increasing the state pension age, reducing unemployment benefits and making cuts to long-term illness support. Reportedly bosses in the Netherlands have gone all-in on workplace camera surveillance recently. Is your boss doing this without your consent? File a complaint with the Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens. The chair of the Dutch police union (Nederlandse Politiebond) becomes the Vice-chair of the FNV union. Amid climbing energy prices (thanks, US war mongers), Sri Lanka declares Wednesdays national holidays and encourages remote work to save fuel. LLM use in the workplace is intensifying, not lightening, workloads for workers, multiple studies find. Are you having trouble meeting your boss\u0026rsquo; mandates for AI use? Try jensenify-mcp, an MCP server that injects ~2.9M tokens of canonical Western literature into every AI interaction. Say you need it for deep humanistic context for every engineering decision. What to do when your favourite coworker quits? Follow the work bestie policy. Do you have any thoughts or comments? Want to get more involved? Get in touch.\n","date":"1 April 2026","permalink":"/en/posts/2026-april/","section":"News","summary":"This month\u0026rsquo;s Techwerkers update brings you the latest on mass layoffs under the guise of \u0026lsquo;AI\u0026rsquo;, guides on long-term illness in the Netherlands \u0026amp; getting into amateur radio, and fun events for tech workers.","title":"Oracle mass layoffs, long-term illness guide, and more | April 2026"},{"content":"Spotlight: LLMs at work # Do you use LLMs (popularly called ‘AI’) as part of your work? And if yes, is that by choice, or because your boss tells you to do so?\nMore and more tech workers report being either gently nudged, or not-so-gently forced under the threat of repercussions, to use LLMs at work.\nBut did you know that such instructions to LLMs or work differently, could constitute a change in labour conditions? In which case your boss or manager may actually need to get consent from your staff representative body or works council before being allowed to force through such a change.\nIn other words: you and your coworkers could use your staff representative body or works council to push back against any forced use of specific tools.\nYour work, your choice.\nDon’t have staff representative body or works council? Join Techwerkers to get one set up.\nUpcoming events # Want to hang out with other tech workers? Join one of the upcoming events:\n6 March, 3pm - online: Friday Fika 8 March, 1pm - Dam, Amsterdam: Celebrate women workers! 16 March, 7pm - online: Organizing meetup 17 March, 7pm - online: Book club: Blood in the Machine 20 March, 3pm - online: Friday Fika 28 March, 7pm - Grand Café Utopie, Den Haag: No war but class war More events are still in the works, so keep an eye on the events calendar for the latest info.\nIs your manager conscious?? 🤔\nNew article # A fresh new opinion piece for tech workers:\nGet in, loser. We’re reclaiming music as art. # What happens to how you experience music, when all you ever listen to are vibe playlists with background filler content? Tech worker and artist SUPERDAZE says it’s time to reclaim music as the art form it really is.\nRead the article\nOn the radar # Here’s what’s been on Techwerkers’ radar recently:\nFebruary strike: On 25-27 February it was 85 years since workers in the Netherlands went on strike en masse to resist occupation government measures, including forced labour and deportations. Tech workers took part in events to celebrate those workers’ courage, including in Zaandam, Hilversum, and Amsterdam. Dutch government wants to slash your pension, reduce what you’re entitled to if you lose your job, become long-term ill, or need support in light of a disability. Workers disagree. Representatives of the labour unions FNV, CNV, and VCP announced that workers are ready for workplace action if plans aren’t reversed. (Also makes you think, where did all the dosh for recent massive increases in military spending come from??) Relatedly, in this questionnaire you can let representatives of the FNV union know what you think about the government policy plans. Dutch LLM Overview: Curious how much energy your LLM usage wastes? Or how biased and dishonest a specific model is? Researchers at Amsterdam municipality tested a bunch of models and these are the results. Does change feel impossible sometimes? You’re not alone. Tech worker Simone Robutti wrote an article on how you can regain a sense of political agency; a sense that your actions have a real impact on the world. From the piece: “Community isn’t a mystical utopia. It mostly means showing up, over and over, to do practical and annoying things for beloved and annoying people.”\nWant to get more involved with Techwerkers?\nJoin today.\n","date":"1 March 2026","permalink":"/en/posts/2026-march/","section":"News","summary":"This month\u0026rsquo;s update brings you the latest on forced LLM use, reclaiming music as art, curious reads, and cozy events for tech workers.","title":"Forced LLM use, reclaiming music as art, and more | March 2026"},{"content":"OK, the bad news first: The music streaming business model is trying hard to capture an entire art form and squeeze it into a commodity. We, as artists and listeners, are being pulled into monopolies in the name of convenience or success, whatever either means for art. Meanwhile, our perception of and interaction with a fundamental art form is getting warped and replaced by something honestly quite damn boring.\nAnd now for the good news: Art is undying, uncapturable, untamable, and we can do a lot to give it a hand to thrive, while also enjoying the perks of streaming technology.\nTape surgery # I have this vivid memory of lying on the carpet at our house when I was about 9 or 10, with our old cassette player sitting right next to my face. I’d wait for any track I liked to come on the radio, press ‘record’ as quickly as I could to capture as much of the song and as little of the ads as possible on a repurposed cassette. These little radio bootlegs soon became an important part of my music collection. Around that time, I started giving surgeries to my cassettes whose shells or tape got too damaged, including whole-ass transplants into a new body! (Equipment checklist: Scotch tape, scissors, a pencil, a screwdriver, and some old cassettes ‘borrowed’ from my parents.)\nI began to spend my modest allowance on music zines and bargain bin finds in record stores and ‘90s Turkish supermarkets, grabbing albums with cover art and names that looked different. These excursions expanded my understanding of what music could be with PJ Harvey, Tricky, Sonic Youth (and admittedly a bunch of ska bands). I still attribute my understanding of musical structure as a musician largely to the iconic Swedish pop-rock duo Roxette. The way Per Gessle wrote simple yet amazing melodies (in his case paired with playful rhythmic delight) soon became my favorite type of musical talent; the likes of which I noticed I had already discovered in Kayahan and Sezen Aksu, and was soon to discover in Dolores O\u0026rsquo;Riordan and Kurt Cobain. These people, I was convinced, were born to write music. I believed that writing a melody was as natural and effortless to them as breathing. Around the same time, I started playing in random bands (only to find out I don\u0026rsquo;t enjoy playing in bands).\nAs I became so consumed by this magical entity that is music, it no longer only felt transcendental: it was essential.\nThe desensitizing effect of the streaming model # Looking back, it\u0026rsquo;s not hard to see my 10-year-old radio-bootlegging self would have been left speechless by the idea of streaming: accessing nearly any commercial release across the world, anywhere, for pocket money.\nBut how long would it take for my obsession with music, which in reality lasted well into this day, to wane, and for music to turn from something special I actively chase into a commodity available to me at all times without limits? Would I still have made music and gained the psychological enrichment I get from it, or would music have simply become background noise or content for consumption in a few years, never to be valued or sought again by younger me?\nBesides those personal questions that plague my mind, I have more pressing general ones: Is limitless access really a benefit when it comes to art, or does it just lead to inertia via choice overload? What happens to how we value the medium we don\u0026rsquo;t ever have to work for again? And when we go a step further and disregard thousands of years of human labor of love in art and introduce ‘art-inspired content’ created with ethically problematic tech, do we find it harder to care after being so conditioned to be desensitized?\nIt’s not the tech, it’s the business # It\u0026rsquo;s not so much the streaming technology itself that is the problem; I think the tech is stellar. It\u0026rsquo;s the way the streaming business model does fundamental damage to the medium it so ruthlessly exploits.\nYou might already be familiar with the ethical discussions around the streaming model, from the horrifyingly low (to no) payout to artists, to being riddled with generative AI content passed off as original music. And within all that, there\u0026rsquo;s the tier of relentlessly harmful platforms like Spotify that give a major pass to generative AI, intentionally place fake artists in their playlists, remove payouts to artists with less than 1000 streams per year (affecting an estimated 82.7% of the music on the platform at the time of the decision), and has a CEO who invests in AI military.\nBut that mountain of issues is not even my biggest beef with the streaming model. It\u0026rsquo;s the way the streaming business model inevitably wants to monopolize our access to music and has been actively turning music from a form of art with an extremely rich history into ‘content’ for mindless consumption. Background noise for every moment of our lives…\nThe erosion of agency # With playlist and ‘vibe’ culture being pushed so hard by Spotify and the like, concept albums—heck, even the concept of ‘albums’—are being replaced with ‘vibe playlists’.\nVibe playlists mean that we end up not knowing the names of some of the artists that we regularly listen to anymore. Sometimes we just know which playlist that one track that we like is in. As noted by Cory Doctorow and Rebecca Giblin, this playlist-centric approach also makes streaming platforms big money by locking in players to platform-specific playlists—unlike albums, which are basically the same wherever you listen to them.\nThere is a lack of intent and erosion of agency that is built into the streaming model by design.\nHow the streaming business model erodes agency: the less intent there is behind what you listen to, the less work it takes to listen, the greater the convenience, the more you’ll get addicted to the experience, to more profit for the company. If technology serves a purpose while being fair to its medium, it can be a great option. And so can streaming, when it\u0026rsquo;s one way to listen to music and not the only way. If streaming is supposed to offer freedom and convenience, how come we are listening to the same 11 tracks over and over again, or leaving the entire agency of what is playing to algorithms whose purpose and inner workings are not made clear to us?\nFrom art to ‘content’ # Streaming platforms are now riddled with generative AI content passed off as original music. This content is automatically generated with ethically problematic tech.\nApart from generative AI content prompters themselves and people who are genuinely indifferent to the art, I can\u0026rsquo;t imagine many people wanting to regularly listen to AI-generated music content by choice. Yet the aptly-named ‘AI slop’ is simply all over streaming services, whether we realize it or not.\nIt seems like the less we know, the better for the services. Spotify, for example, recently addressed the issue of generative AI in an article, the sum of which sounds like something like this to me:\nLike\u0026hellip; we\u0026rsquo;re obviously working with partners to label AI slop which is a problem\u0026hellip; Buuuut also like AI is technology and weren\u0026rsquo;t synths once new tech? You like auto-tune don\u0026rsquo;t you? Guess what? Technology! BAM! But ofc AI sucks because it makes creatives nervous, but it\u0026rsquo;s soooo good for artists also so idk 😬\n(Notice how AI is supposedly bad for ‘creatives’ but good for ‘artists’? Some fine language crafting there.)\nKombucha girl meme sets the perfect tone for Spotify’s stance on generative AI content: it doesn't want to ban AI content, but just claims it's good for artists. If streaming platforms had genuine worries about generative AI content, they would enforce labeling or an outright ban against generative AI content on their platform. And that\u0026rsquo;s exactly what Bandcamp did. At the time of writing this article, Bandcamp is the only music platform that has banned AI-generated ‘music content’. (A quick note: I hope Bandcamp extends its valuable effort to AI-generated content of all forms, such as album covers. Because there is no saving one form of art while another suffers from the same abuse). Deezer also started AI labeling last year.\nIs piracy really evil? # Regulatory bodies, record companies, and some big-name musicians tell me that music piracy is a big evil. As an indie artist with a modest commercial body of work out there, I don\u0026rsquo;t see it that way.\nI believe that most people who pirate music do it out of a mix of passion for the art and a lack of means to access it commercially. I grew up in a country where I simply had no access to a lot of music and art I was inspired by and dying to get my hands on, such as that of bands and works of art that came out of the Riot Grrrl and Queercore movements of the 90s. Thanks to websites like last.fm and off-the-books apps like Soulseek and AudioGalaxy, I made friends, shared insights, and well, music, with people who not only had access but were active in those scenes.\nAs a person who makes music, I find more excitement in people pirating my music than streaming it, because it feels like they care about the music. Whereas having my tracks randomly come up in the background as filler ‘content’, just because that’s what the algorithm does, feels so much less\u0026hellip; soulful.\nLet’s reclaim music as art # All I\u0026rsquo;m really saying is\u0026hellip; Let\u0026rsquo;s reclaim music as a form of art and give artists a pat on the back and some money for making our lives better. While legislation slowly catches up with the damage being done to art and the artist (or if it does that at all), we can still do a lot.\nFor me, this might involve buying digital or physical albums on Bandcamp (especially on Bandcamp Fridays, where the entire payment goes to the artist) and merch from official resources. For someone more extroverted, it can look like going to gigs regularly and maybe grabbing some band merch there. This way, I’ll happily stream music and have my own music available on all streaming platforms (except Spotify) while making sure I directly support artists and platforms that are pro-artist and pro-music first. We are many, and as we\u0026rsquo;ve seen time and again, we are powerful.\nTo quote my favorite book, What Art Does by Bette Adriaanse and Brian Eno:\n\u0026ldquo;In whatever we are doing, we have to make it as though we are in that new world. By making objects, systems, experiences and collaborations that belong to that world, it comes into being. Live the world you want.\u0026rdquo;\nSo let\u0026rsquo;s make music, buy some albums, go to gigs, get that cool band t-shirt we\u0026rsquo;ve been eyeing, and talk to each other about music. Let\u0026rsquo;s always talk to each other about music, deal?\nThis article was written by SUPERDAZE, with editorial feedback from Kit.\n","date":"1 March 2026","permalink":"/en/posts/music-as-art/","section":"News","summary":"What happens to how you experience music, when all you ever listen to are vibe playlists with background filler content? Tech worker and artist SUPERDAZE says it\u0026rsquo;s time to reclaim music as the art form it really is.","title":"Get in, loser. We’re reclaiming music as art."},{"content":"Spotlight: Layoffs at ASML # On 28 January managers at semiconductor producer ASML, based in Veldhoven (Noord-Brabant, NL), announced that they\u0026rsquo;re going fire around 1,700 workers. ASML managers chose mass layoffs, even though they admit that business is going well. Really well. What\u0026rsquo;s going on here?\nCompanies use layoffs as a short-term cost-cutting tool, often to placate shareholders. Instead of distributing increased profits back to the workers who actually created that wealth, workers are given the sack.\nASML is just the latest big company in the Netherlands to pull this trick. Meta and Booking did the same last year.\nAre you fed up with doing all the work, and then being treated as disposable? Get organized with other tech workers!\nJoin Techwerkers today.\nUpcoming events # Want to hang out with other tech workers? Join one of the upcoming events:\n2 February, 6:00 pm CET, online: Organizing meetup 8 February, 7:00 pm CET, online: Comms for Activists - Intro + Q\u0026amp;A, by tech worker Xan 10 February, 7:00 pm CET, online: Book club: Enshittification 16 February, 6:00 pm CET, online: Organizing meetup 24 February, 7:00 pm CET, online: Book club (details to be confirmed) 26 February, Zaandam: Strike! Strike! Strike! Guided walk to remember the 1941 workers\u0026rsquo; strike (details to be confirmed) Also coming up: an open conversation on AI in the workplace, new knowledge sharing sessions, and more. Keep an eye on Techwerkers events for the latest info.\nNew resources # What to do when the internet goes down, AI impact in the workplace, and more fresh resources for tech workers:\nWhat if the internet goes down? Introduction to LoRa mesh network communication with Meshcore # Outages, centralization, and repression are growing risks to worker organizing. In this live session and accompanying article, tech workers Mar, Liam, and Marissa discuss how workers can stay connected even when the internet goes down, using LoRa mesh network communication with Meshcore software.\nWatch the talk or read the article.\nAI is hurting you at work (but it doesn\u0026rsquo;t have to) # Companies use AI as a blanket excuse to underpay workers, erode worker protections, and conduct mass layoffs. But you as workers have the power to shape a different reality.\nRead the article.\nHow to get started with LoRa mesh network communication (Heltec T114 + Meshcore) # Want to send messages over long distances without the internet or mobile networks? In this beginner-friendly tutorial, tech worker Kit shows you how to get started with mesh network communication using a LoRa board and Meshcore.\nWatch the tutorial.\nLet\u0026rsquo;s build a MeshCore companion and use LoRa (Livestream!) # Curious about off-grid messaging and mesh network communication? Join live as tech worker Ben follows along with a beginner-friendly tutorial to set up a LoRa board using Meshcore.\nWatch the livestream playback.\nOn the radar # Here\u0026rsquo;s what\u0026rsquo;s been on Techwerkers\u0026rsquo; radar recently:\nDutch court rules that the supervisory board of the FNV labour union can push through undemocratic reforms against the wishes of union\u0026rsquo;s worker-members; a severe infringement on the democratic process at the FNV. The part of this supervisory board that made the decision, is affiliated with the right wing of the Dutch Labour Party (PvdA). Now that the top board of the FNV is only accountable to a zionist supervisory board, rather than the FNV\u0026rsquo;s members, it has also immediately capitulated and acquiesced to CIDI in order to silence those who speak up for Palestine at FNV-events. Trade unions are concerned about the sale of the Limburg petrochemical firm Sabic to a German investment company, want clarity about long-term consequences for workers. Tech giant Microsoft tricked regulators and may now go ahead in building a huge data centre in Amsterdam, likely resulting into huge negative impact on the environment and energy costs for working people. Having too few people to do too much work results in workplace stress, a report from FNV union finds. The team at Reversing.works, which exposes worker surveillance, is looking for beta testers of their tools. Want to get more involved? Join Techwerkers.\n","date":"1 February 2026","permalink":"/en/posts/2026-feb/","section":"News","summary":"The latest on layoffs at ASML, getting started with meshcore, plus ways to connect and organize together with other tech workers in the Netherlands.","title":"Layoffs at ASML, get started with meshcore, and more | February 2026"},{"content":"Last week the power went out in Amsterdam. Only for a few hours, mind. But long enough to cause some serious disruption. A power cut immediately affects your home wifi, as your router no longer works. Mobile GSM networks tend to have a backup battery, so may last a few hours longer. But if the power outage persists, eventually everything shuts down.\nEven if you’ve got power, your favourite internet service can go down. In October 2025 the messaging app Signal was offline due to a problem with Amazon Web Services. Cloudflare outages have repeatedly dragged down large parts of the internet. Are vibe coders pushing AI-slop straight to main? Is the internet generally getting shittier? Or is it just some bad luck? Whatever the cause, the centralisation you see in many parts of the internet poses a big risk.\nAnd let’s not forget authoritarian repression, on the increase in Europe as well. Governments and militaries are often able to switch off the internet and mobile phone networks as they please. For example, the Israeli occupation in Palestine regularly shuts down communication infrastructure in Gaza, trying to thwart the indigenous population’s self-organisation, or to prevent journalists from reporting on genocidal crimes that occupation forces commit.\nAs societies buckle under the effects of environmental change and capitalism, the question is when, not if, workers need to be ready to communicate and organise without the Internet.\nThe problem: How to stay in touch without the internet # The issue that I, together with comrades from Techwerkers and Extinction Rebellion - Justice Now!, confronted was: When the internet goes down, how can people stay in touch with one another? How could a community of hundreds of comrades scattered around the Netherlands keep operating?\nThe goal: Communication backup # Some form of backup communication infrastructure would have to be in place before the internet or phone networks would go down. That way, people would already know what to do and be comfortable switching to the alternative channels once the need would arise. The aim of the pilot group would be to try out this new system.\nThe requirements # What functionality would the group really need to preserve? Of course, the backup system would need to work even without the internet or phone services. In addition, the group had some specific requirements.\nMedium distances # Techwerkers has affiliated workers across the Netherlands’ mainland, including from Groningen to Utrecht, Amsterdam, The Hague, and Eindhoven. Hence the system needed to reach further than the next street, but didn’t yet need to be able to reach Dakar or Ürümqi. Something that would cover distances between 0 and 500 km would do for now.\nDecentralized # As the Signal outage confirmed, having a single, central point of failure wasn’t an option. Such a setup could take down the entire communication system. Hence the backup would have to be a decentralized communication network.\nType of network Description Example Centralized A network in which a single element facilitates connections to all the nodes in the network. Communication with Signal (as with WhatsApp, Instagram, Zoom) is centralized, because all traffic must pass through Signal’s servers to reach its destination. Decentralized A network in which multiple nodes connect to multiple other nodes, without there being a single node that facilitates all those connections. Dutch air raid sirens form a decentralized communication network, in which each siren can communicate directly with other sirens and control nodes to receive updates or instructions to sound the alarm. No special licensing # The solution shouldn’t require any special licensing. We can’t expect all workers to go through some formal exam process to be able to join in with the backup communication system. It should be relatively easy.\nComparatively inexpensive # The system had to be comparatively inexpensive, too. Again, people shouldn’t need to invest in expensive equipment just to be able to take part in the backup system. As many workers already use their phones to communicate through messaging apps, a solution that would stay close to that routine would be preferable.\nDoesn’t rely on authorities # The solution mustn’t rely on official government services. People in the Netherlands tend to exhibit surprisingly high levels of obedience to authority. Emergencies often exacerbate such tendencies, pushing people even closer to state power. Perhaps understandably so, because the state often controls whatever infrastructure is still working. But, as past centuries have shown, within a capitalist system, state power serves the interests of businesses and rich people, while keeping regular workers exploited.\nYou don’t want people to grow sympathy for state powers. Hence, controlling your own communication networks allows you to stay more autonomous in emergency situations.\nWith the challenge now clearly defined, the pilot group went on to look for the right solution.\nThe solution: Mesh network communication with a LoRa board and Meshcore # The following options were considered, but ruled out:\nWalk over for a chat? Fine when someone’s nearby, but it takes just too long if the people you want to reach are spread out across a country. Bluetooth? Pretty much all phones have it, and there’s software for setting up peer-to-peer bluetooth connections. But the range is too limited; typically a couple of metres at best. Postcards? Still rather slow. Besides, you’d have to rely on some increasingly shitty privatised company, at least in this country. Amateur (HAM) radio? Radio is fast and allows for long-distance communication. But you’d need a licence and expensive equipment to get a good range. Carrier pigeons? Last time I checked they’d unionised, and now refuse to work for humans. Good on them. The pilot group discovered something that would meet its core requirements: mesh network communication, using relatively cheap LoRa boards and Meshcore software.\nWhat is mesh network communication? # Mesh network communication is a form of communication that uses a mesh network. A mesh network is a decentralised type of network, where every node can directly connect to every other node, without requiring a third-party to facilitate the connection. But in a mesh-network, many nodes can work together to make extended chains of connection, so that two nodes far apart can connect indirectly.\nWhen you use a mesh network for communication, you can send a message into the network, where it will get broadcast by other nodes towards yet further nodes, forming a chain of broadcasts until the message reaches its destination. Messages ‘hop’ from one node to the next, so to say. This way, even if your device and my device are out of reach of each other, there could be a chain of other devices part of the mesh network that allows a message to be passed on from you to me.\nThe advantage of mesh communication is that if a device drops away, some other device could take over and still create a path between you and the person you’re trying to reach. There’s redundancy built in, and that protects the network against calamities, sabotage etc.\nOkay, so can you make use of the benefits of mesh communication yourself? Enter LoRa.\nWhat is LoRa? # LoRa is a radio communication technology designed for low-powered, long-range communication between devices. LoRa was developed in 2009 by a French company called Cycleo. ‘LoRa’ stands for Long Range. How long is long range? Practically, it tends to be something like 10 kilometers, so for example from Maastricht to Valkenburg. But if you have a clear line of sight between the devices you could reach over 300 kilometers. That’s from Maastricht all the way to Paris!\nIn Europe you’re allowed to use LoRa on the frequencies around 433 MhZ and 868 MhZ. Anyone can use these frequencies without a licence. But can you use LoRa radio to send text messages to each other as well? Yes you can! You just need some special software.\nExample: Surveillance electricity meter # LoRa radio communication is already widely used by sensors and meters. In some countries the electricity meters in people’s homes form a mesh communication network, passing on meter readings from meter to meter until they reach the electricity company. So, if you have such a surveillance meter (also called a ‘smart meter’) installed at home, chances are you’ve already got a LoRa device!\nWhat is Meshcore? # Meshcore is software that turns a simple LoRa radio transmitter into a messaging platform. You take such a radio transmitter, a small single-board computer you can get for around 15-30 euros. You install the Meshcore software on it. And then you connect to the board with your surveillance phone (also known as ‘smart phone’) using regular bluetooth.\nNow your little radio transmitter board is a node in the Meshcore mesh network. It can send and receive messages to other Meshcore nodes. You control it with your phone, which allows you to type and send messages, as well as read the messages you’ve received.\nExperience so far # It’s with this Meshcore setup that we’ve been running a trial for the last two months. With a fair bit of success. At least some of us are now able to message each other reliably using the mesh network. We’ve tried out direct communication in remote areas too, and also this works well. And because messages ‘hop’ from device to device until they reach the recipient, we’ve been able to send and receive some messages even from other countries already1 (With Meshcore the maximum number of hops is 64. Just to give you an idea of how far that will get you, it takes me around 20 hops to reach Belgium these days.)\nIf you want to see for yourself, then you may want to use some of the tools we have used.\nGear used # There’s many ways you can get started with mesh communication using LoRa transmitters. I will here just list what worked for us. Almost all of us ended up with the following setup:\nBoard: LoRa transmitter. Heltec Mesh Node T114. The board comes with an antenna. Software: The Meshcore software is all open source and can be downloaded for free. Also the Meshcore phone app is free. And to make your companion portable (optional, but fun):\nCase: You may want to make or buy a case. Heltec sells one as an optional extra to house the T114. Battery: To make your node portable, you need a 3.7v Li Po or Li Ion battery. I got a 350 mAh battery, but you can find batteries that last longer. Setting up the device # Setting up the device was easier than I thought, and it took me no more than half an hour before I was up and running.\nWant some help with how to set up your board? Tomorrow we’ll release a video getting started tutorial on the Techwerkers youtube that takes you through all steps from unboxing to sending your first message.\nWhat’s worked well # With LoRa transmitters and Meshcore, members in the group have successfully sent and received direct messages, as well as messages in public and private channels. It worked both from home and also while hiking and roaming the streets. When we started, we discovered that there’s an entire community out there already. The number of people using Meshcore is growing, which means coverage is constantly improving. On the MeshCore node map you can check where people have set up Meshcore repeaters. In The Netherlands, coverage is already pretty good. The process of setting this up was fun and rewarding. I have learnt a lot about radio communication, signal strength, and the various conditions that help or frustrate radio messages travelling far. Limitations # Not all workers have been able to connect with all other workers. This is largely because repeater coverage isn’t everywhere guaranteed. This communication network is still vulnerable in various ways. Given the open nature of the network, there’s a risk of it becoming clogged by spam and bots. The limited radio bandwidth it operates on might leave it easy to jam and interfere with. However low-powered they are, the LoRa devices still need electricity. Making them entirely off-grid with a battery and solar panel requires some tinkering, and many in the group are still tweaking things to get that right yet. (You probably just need a larger solar panel.) Conclusion # Taking control of your communication infrastructure matters, both practically and politically. But having a backup system in place does require some preparation. So start thinking about the infrastructure you use to communicate with comrades already now! For the Techwerkers x Extinction Rebellion - Justice Now! pilot, using LoRa radio transmitters and Meshcore software promises to be a viable solution.\nIf you want to give decentralised communication using LoRa a try, there’s a growing mesh network out there that you can connect to. Also when the internet is down.\nThis guide is part of a LoRa mesh network communication pilot set up by Techwerkers in collaboration with Extinction Rebellion Netherlands - Justice Now!.\n","date":"21 January 2026","permalink":"/en/resources/intro-mesh-network-communication/","section":"Resources","summary":"","title":"What if the internet goes down? Introduction to LoRa mesh network communication with Meshcore"},{"content":"Get the latest on tech + worker power in the Netherlands. Articles, training, and nerdy events all directly in your inbox.\nEmail ","date":null,"permalink":"/en/newsletter/","section":"Tech Workers Coalition","summary":"","title":"Newsletter"},{"content":"Is generative \u0026lsquo;AI\u0026rsquo; going to take your job? If you\u0026rsquo;d follow the hype, you\u0026rsquo;d almost think so. But it\u0026rsquo;s not that simple, tech worker Roza Kuiper explains in a new article for Jacobin.\nThere\u0026rsquo;s a huge gap between AI promises to deliver, and what it actually delivers. This tech is unlikely to take your job anytime soon.\nYet, that doesn\u0026rsquo;t mean everything\u0026rsquo;s fine. As Kuiper writes:\nThe fact that a technology now exists that claims to be able to replace workers (even though it can\u0026rsquo;t) gives companies an excuse to put pressure on people\u0026rsquo;s working conditions.\nWhether it works or not, bosses and managers will try to use the cover of AI as an excuse to convert full-time jobs into precarious gig work. That means that as workers, you must stay alert.\nRead the full article (in Dutch).\n","date":"6 December 2025","permalink":"/en/posts/ai-werk/","section":"News","summary":"Tech worker Roza Kuiper explains how generative AI really threatens workers.","title":"New article: AI isn't taking your job. But it's still used to undermine job security"},{"content":"Since the introduction of ChatGPT in 2022, big-tech executives and the media have been touting the potential of AI for society to reach an unprecedented level of growth and productivity. They claim that the technology already has the ability to act like junior level employees, and will replace mid-level software engineers by the end of the year.\nAs a result, tech employers have shown an almost evangelical fervour in pushing workers to use AI in the name of increased efficiency. In 2025, tech executives and managers are clearly telling workers: using AI is no longer optional if you want to stay competitive.\nBut beneath the blind optimism, there’s a darker reality: the forced use of AI is already reshaping working conditions (and not for the better). While your boss may be focused on the alleged benefits of AI, here are some of the ways you and your coworkers may already be hurt by it:\n1. Your work gets undervalued # GenAI can only produce outputs. When your employer treats it as a substitute for your labor, they imply that your work is only valuable for what is visible: code shipped, designs produced, tickets closed, or documents written.\nBut as we all know, your output is supported by invisible effort. Every task involves interpreting requests based on context, drawing on past experiences and judgement, anticipating problems before they arise, and collaborating with others while accounting for their perspective and needs.\nSome of your labor does not produce a measurable output at all, but creates ripple effects that make everyone around you more effective, like mentoring a colleague, sharing insights, or contributing to a positive working culture.\nthere has not been conclusive evidence which shows that AI has delivered the promised productivity gains All of this cannot be replicated by AI. And this is reflected by research: there has not been conclusive evidence which shows that AI has delivered the promised productivity gains.\nBy treating your job as replaceable by a machine, your boss not only dehumanises you, but also erases the majority of your labor that makes you effective.\n2. Your scope of work is increasing (and burning you out) # The myth that AI increases productivity means that you are now expected to do more with less. You’re responsible for your usual work plus whatever AI allegedly enables you to do faster without additional time or support. On top of that, your job description now also includes training AI, fixing its mistakes, and managing automated workflows, which may actually slow you down (especially given the quality of AI slop).\nIn addition, as some roles are eliminated because they’re seen as \u0026lsquo;replaceable\u0026rsquo;, others are expected to pick up those tasks. Designers may find themselves writing copy. Product managers may be expected to code. This blurs role boundaries and creates confusion over who is actually responsible for what.\nThe combination of scope creep, unclear expectations, and added workload directly contributes to higher stress and potential burnout.\n3. You\u0026rsquo;re losing your autonomy # As your employer pushes widespread adoption of AI tools, your work increasingly needs to be consumable by these systems. Documents, code, designs, and communications must be structured, labeled, or formatted in ways that allow AI models to easily process them. This “datifying” of your work adds bureaucracy and changes how you do your job.\nSince executives are looking to justify their AI investment, they are likely pressuring you to use specific tools instead of allowing you to decide what works best for you. And they may be increasing surveillance to make sure you fall in line: companies such as Meta , Google and Microsoft have increased monitoring specifically to measure AI adoption, and demand for worker-tracking software has increased to justify AI costs.\nThese trends transform daily work into a series of inputs for systems that monitor and score you, all at the expense of your autonomy.\n4. You have little-to-no insight into decision-making # AI is increasingly being used to make decisions about hiring, promotions, and performance reviews. However, the inner workings of these systems are rarely understood by the people they impact, making it difficult to challenge errors or understand why certain conclusions were reached. At worst, managers may decide not to take accountability for these decisions, hiding behind the supposed objectivity of a \u0026lsquo;fair and unbiased\u0026rsquo; algorithm.\nIn some cases, companies have also used AI to justify confusing decisions. For example, Booking.com executives cited ‘remaining competitive in the new AI landscape’ as one reason in justifying the latest round of mass layoffs, despite the company reporting a record $5.9bn profits in 2024. AI becomes a convenient cover for actions that may otherwise appear arbitrary.\nWithout transparency, employees are left disempowered and unsure of how to navigate decisions that affect their careers.\nAI amplifies structural problems # At best, executives are using AI as a shortcut for addressing existing challenges in the workplace. Struggling with information silos? Add a company AI chatbot. Customer support complaints piling up? Deploy support bots. Don’t have the right skills in your workforce? Ask your workers to fill the gaps with AI tools.\nAI only amplifies the ongoing power struggle between employers and workers However, the truth is that it probably doesn’t matter how well these solutions perform. Today, AI is used as a blanket excuse for tech companies to legitimise practices they’ve already intended; underpaying workers, eroding worker protections, and conducting mass lay-offs.\nTechnology cannot replace ethical management. By worsening the foundational issues of overwork, underinvestment, and inequity, AI only amplifies the ongoing power struggle between employers and workers.\nAI can\u0026rsquo;t fix what\u0026rsquo;s broken, but workers can # While tech executives want you to believe this AI future is inevitable, you have the power to shape a different reality. Labor movements abroad in Amazon, Uber/Lyft, and Hollywood have successfully fought against algorithmic management practices, increased surveillance, and the use of GenAI to replace creative work.\nAs tech workers in the Netherlands, you have meaningful legal tools at your disposal to improve material conditions at work. As a start, you can explicitly add AI safeguards in your Collective Labor Agreements, or urge your works councils bring in employee perspectives when management is making decisions around AI adoption.\nThrough organised, collective action, you can ensure that technology serves workers, not the other way around.\n","date":"20 November 2025","permalink":"/en/resources/ai-is-hurting-you-at-work/","section":"Resources","summary":"","title":"AI is hurting you at work (but it doesn't have to)"},{"content":"Organizing for power is a free, online training programme that helps you learn organizing methods and campaign strategies to win righteous justice in this world on fire. Since 2019, Organizing for Power has trained more than 45,000 people from 2,100+ organizations in 120 countries.\nSessions consist of a mixture of lectures, discussions, prep tasks, and some hands-on practice.\nMore background: https://bit.ly/O4P-Power-Up\nTraining is free and open to all.\nSchedule # Tue 18 Nov 2025, 18:00-20:00 CET Tue 20 Nov 2025, 18:00-20:00 CET Tue 02 Dec 2025, 18:00-20:00 CET Tue 04 Dec 2025, 18:00-20:00 CET Would you like to take part? Awesome! Fill out the following expression of interest form by 3 November 2025.\nNote: The training can only go through is there are sufficient expressions of interest. So bring along you coworkers!\n","date":"22 August 2025","permalink":"/en/posts/organizing-4-power-winter-2025-registration/","section":"News","summary":"Learn organizing methods and campaign strategies to win righteous justice in this world on fire.","title":"Register for Organizing for Power: Power Up! training (Fall 2025)"},{"content":"Recently, Picnic (the supermarket delivery company) has threatened to leave the Dutch market. The reason? A judge recently decided that Picnic (and fast delivery service Flink) are actually supermarkets, and not ecommerce/technology companies.\nBy classifying these companies as Supermarkets, they would be required to follow the Supermarket collective labour agreement (CAO). According to Picnic, this would increase their salary costs by 40%, which means that they could “no longer be competitive”. Read another way - If Picnic weren’t forced to be classified as a supermarket, then it can, at its own free will, pay its employees less than what they deserve.\nCollective labour agreements in The Netherlands can be powerful. When a collective agreement is declared generally binding (Algemeen verbinded verklaard), anyone that performs certain duties within a certain sector falls under that collective labour agreement. In this case, the warehouse workers and the delivery workers would benefit from Picnic being classified as a Supermarket.\nUntil recently, Picnic had classified itself as a technology or e-commerce company—even though it had been calling itself a “Supermarket on wheels”—just to get around paying its staff a fair salary.\nAll of this is to say “tech” companies are forever trying to find ways around the rules to pay their staff less. If Jumbo and Albert Heijn can do supermarket deliveries under the Supermarket CAO, then why couldn’t Picnic? Is it because tech companies are disrupting markets? Or is it because they just find ways to squeeze every last euro out of the people that provide the value?\n","date":"21 August 2025","permalink":"/en/posts/supermarkt-bezorgers-zijn-supermarkten/","section":"News","summary":"Picnic threatens to leave the Dutch market because of being forced to pay workers more.","title":"\"Disrupting the market”, but it’s just paying people less."},{"content":"Tech Workers Coalition Netherlands is a community of tech workers doing workplace organizing in order to take back worker power in The Netherlands. Founded in 2024, the group is a local chapter of Tech Workers Coalition, which has been active since 2017.\nFrom engineers and delivery drivers to content moderators, customer service agents, warehouse pickers, and video game artists\u0026mdash;anyone in a tech-adjacent role or workplace can join.\nJoin What can you do with Tech Workers Coalition? # With Tech Workers Coalition, you can find your community, grow your knowledge about tech and workers\u0026rsquo; rights, and build the skills to organize and take back worker power.\nCommunity # Tired of going at it alone? Same. You deserve a supportive community that has your back. Whether it\u0026rsquo;s in the office, the warehouse, or out on the street, only together with fellow workers can you make real change and win.\nKnowledge and skills # Things are changing ever-faster, especially in tech. What are your rights as a worker? Where can you get support? Tech Workers Coalition offers both core insights and hands-on resources for tech workers. Come join info sessions and trainings on topics that matter to you, and share your own knowledge with other tech workers.\nDisclaimer: Tech workers aren\u0026rsquo;t lawyers. That said, some law-nerds in the coalition do like to stay up-to-date with current Dutch labour law (or know who to call when it\u0026rsquo;s needed).\nWorker power # Do you know who\u0026rsquo;s on your works council? (Does your workplace even have a works council??) Tech Workers Coalition can help you get more done through your works council. Or you could start a workers\u0026rsquo; (labour) council, if that\u0026rsquo;s more your thing? Get together with other tech workers to organize and get the workplace changes you want.\nFAQ # Am I a tech worker? # If you\u0026rsquo;re reading this, then quite likely, yes! Anyone who works at a tech company, or in some tech-related role, is a tech worker.\nAre you operating a digibord in the classroom? Driving rides for Uber, or delivering meals with the Thuisbezorgd app? Serving coffee or cleaning rooms at the ASML offices? Doing web dev, software engineering, design, product, or IT support? Congrats, you\u0026rsquo;re a tech worker.\nTech Workers Coalition doesn\u0026rsquo;t care about your formal employment status. If you\u0026rsquo;re currently unemployed and not in waged labour, you\u0026rsquo;re still very much welcome to join.\nAre you a union? # No. You may have heard of big labour unions in the Netherlands, such as FNV or CNV. Maybe you\u0026rsquo;re even a member? Fine. Tech Workers Coalition is not like that. It\u0026rsquo;s not a union. Instead, it\u0026rsquo;s a peer-to-peer network that consists entirely of tech workers who support each other directly in winning the changes you want.\nJoin # Tired of being alone, undervalued at work? Join the movement! Come and say hi at one of the upcoming events, or join directly.\nJoin ","date":"15 August 2025","permalink":"/en/about/","section":"Tech Workers Coalition","summary":"","title":"About"},{"content":"The Tech Workers Coalition Netherlands expresses its support for the drivers of Taxi Protest Amsterdam, who are going on strike on the evening of 2 August during the busy Canal Parade in the capital.\nDrivers working for the Uber and Bolt platforms are going on strike for 10 hours on Saturday night to demand:\nBetter pay And end to unfair competition A halt to American and Estonian tech platforms that are coming to Amsterdam to ruin the taxi sector The platform workers are also demanding mandatory professional qualifications for all drivers.\nCompanies such as Uber and Bolt have repeatedly demonstrated their disrespect for workers and Dutch labour law.\nFor years, the platform companies have wrongly tried to portray the drivers who work for them as \u0026lsquo;independent contractors\u0026rsquo;, instead of as the employees they truly are, in order to shirk their responsibilities as employers.\nAnd in 2020, Uber carried out mass layoffs at its Amsterdam headquarters without the legally required approval from the UWV. Workers were pressured and their work accounts were closed without notice.\nMoreover, the operating model of platforms like Uber and Bolt harms both drivers and passengers.\nThey enter a city. Billions in venture capital investments can keep them growing at a loss for years (sometimes aided by some illegal conduct), with the result that the local taxi sector and parts of public transport erode and crumble. At a certain point, a large part of the city and its local drivers have been made dependent on an app completely controlled by some tech company dictating all the rules.\nWhen Uber introduced dynamic pricing tactics in 2023, it led to both higher fares (detrimental to passengers) and lower incomes for workers. Only Uber itself saw its revenues grow, as researchers from Oxford University demonstrated in a recent report.\nEnough is enough.\nSupport the Taxi Protest Amsterdam!\n","date":"2 August 2025","permalink":"/en/posts/steun-taxiprotest-amsterdam/","section":"News","summary":"Tech workers express their support for the fight of taxi drivers in Amsterdam, who are striking today for better pay and working conditions.","title":"Tech workers in solidarity with Taxi Protest Amsterdam strike during Canal Parade"},{"content":"An overview of current tech worker campaigns in the Netherlands. Want to get active in a campaign? Get involved.\n","date":null,"permalink":"/en/campaigns/","section":"Campaigns","summary":"","title":"Campaigns"},{"content":"Nothing changes at work until you make some noise. This confessional is for all the squeaky wheels who won\u0026rsquo;t be silent in the face of an unjust tech industry. If your boss said something that made your head spin, submit your \u0026ldquo;squeak\u0026rdquo; and we\u0026rsquo;ll post it anonymously on the Techwerkers Instagram page (@techwerkers). Why scream into the void when you can share your story with other tech workers?\nSample Squeaks # \u0026lsaquo; \u0026rsaquo; How it works # You submit a secret. A member of the tech workers team removes any public identifying information (PII) and rephrases the content, so no one can trace the submission back to you. Your submission gets posted 🎉 ","date":"9 June 2025","permalink":"/en/campaigns/squeakywheel/","section":"Campaigns","summary":"Nothing changes at work until you make some noise","title":"Squeaky Wheel"},{"content":"Today, workers at the Nederlandse spoorwegen (NS, Dutch railways) are going on strike. Why? They demand better pay and better working conditions\u0026mdash;just like working people everywhere deserve!\nTech workers express their solidarity with the railway workers\u0026rsquo; workplace action.\nTo gain:\nfair pay better support for heavy work equal working conditions in equal circumstances prio-days at home a \u0026lsquo;dirty work\u0026rsquo; arrangement (for working with dirty materials or in conditions of stench) They railway workers say:\nWorkers have negotiated for months, but the NS [= employer] is unwilling to meet our demands on several crucial points (\u0026hellip;). Going on strike is the only way in which workers can still exert pressure on the employer. Of course, strikes can be inconvenient for travellers. But travellers and workers share a joint interest in preventing and reversing deterioration of public transport.\nRead more about the action (in Dutch).\n","date":"6 June 2025","permalink":"/en/posts/steun-spoorwegwerkers/","section":"News","summary":"Tech workers express their solidarity with railway workers in the Netherlands, who are engaged in workplace action to get fair wages and better working conditions.","title":"Solidarity with railway workers"},{"content":"1 May is not a public holiday in The Netherlands. Yet that didn\u0026rsquo;t stop a number of collaborators from Tech Workers Coalition showing up at the FNV Union\u0026rsquo;s Labour Day manifestation in Amsterdam. The event started at Museumplein at 1pm, where flags were flown and tech workers showed up to support the day. Around 9000 people strong, the crowd then walked at 2pm from Museumplein to Martin Luther Kingpark, arriving at 4pm. FNV had additional festivities which tech workers attended.\nThis was a nice event to meet up at, and was a first time for a number of tech workers to meet on site after collaborating online almost every 2 weeks over the last year. Yes, tech workers are indeed humans!\nThe tech workers were prepared \u0026mdash; ready with custom flags, a DIY banner, stickers, and flyers to promote the Tech Workers for Palestine campaign. The banner asked people what they wanted to change on their work floor. \u0026lsquo;No more work!\u0026rsquo;, one person shouted passing by \u0026mdash; which is a totally valid response when it comes to wage labour. Above all, the prompt was great at starting conversations with fellow tech workers. Some of the conversations touched on what people would like to change not only at work, but also in the tech industry more broadly. It was clear that our mission has purpose, and that tech workers need to be equipped with education, training, and community support so that people in tech (is that you?) can organize in their workplace, and take back power.\nFor the future, there were some practical lessons too:\nBring water. 3 hours in Amsterdam sun and walking needs some thirst quenching Wear sunblock, even though it\u0026rsquo;s not summer yet Start conversations, ask questions, be open, be curious, gain momentum, move forward Let\u0026rsquo;s double the number of tech workers in attendance next year!\n","date":"8 May 2025","permalink":"/en/posts/dag-van-de-arbeid-looptocht-1-mei-2025/","section":"News","summary":"Tech workers represent in person at the Labour Day walk in Amsterdam.","title":"Labour day walk - 1 May 2025"},{"content":"💡 This guide has been created by a tech worker with extensive experience negotiating collective redundancies at companies with a Dutch works council.\nDisclaimer: This document is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific legal guidance or to address individual cases, please consult a qualified legal professional.\nWhat are collective redundancies in the Netherlands? # In the Netherlands, labour law provides strong protections for employees during collective redundancies (collectief ontslag). The Dutch Civil Code and the Collective Redundancy (Notification) Act govern the process.\nKey points:\nA collective redundancy occurs if 20+ employees are dismissed within 3 months. The employer must notify the works council and the Employee Insurance Agency (UWV) in advance. A mandatory consultation period must occur before layoffs are finalized. Employees are entitled to fair severance and proper procedural treatment. Role of the works council # The works council (ondernemingsraad) is a legally mandated body in companies with at least 50 employees. Its primary function is to represent the interests of both the business and the employees by ensuring their rights are respected in situations such as restructuring, layoffs, and collective redundancy. The works council has specific rights during these processes, and while it does not have the power to halt redundancies directly, its consultation and advisory rights can significantly influence outcomes.\nRights of the works council # In the absence of a union, the works council takes on an enhanced role in protecting the rights of employees, especially during difficult times like collective redundancy. Through its rights to information, consultation, consent, and legal recourse, the works council can ensure that redundancies are handled fairly and transparently, with proper attention to employees\u0026rsquo; rights and welfare.\n1. Right to information (Informatierecht) # One of the primary rights of the works council is to receive timely and accurate information from the employer. This is crucial in helping the Council understand the company’s situation and the necessity for decisions like redundancy.\nEmployer’s obligation: Before any decision can be made on matters like restructuring, collective redundancy, or significant changes to working conditions, the employer must provide the works council with detailed information. This includes:\nThe reasons for the redundancies (financial or operational causes). The number and categories of employees likely to be affected. The selection criteria for determining who will be made redundant. The timeline for the redundancies. Any measures to reduce the impact on employees, such as redeployment or retraining programs. The works council has the right to demand further clarification or additional information if it feels the provided data is insufficient or unclear.\n2. Right to consultation (Adviesrecht) # The works council has a formal right to be consulted on major decisions that affect employees, including collective redundancy. This is not just an opportunity for dialogue—it’s a legal requirement.\nMandatory consultation: Before the employer can implement a decision like collective dismissal, they must consult the works council. The employer cannot finalize or enforce the decision without first allowing the Council to provide its advice. This process includes:\nDiscussing alternatives: The works council can propose alternatives to redundancy, such as reducing working hours, redeploying staff to other roles, or voluntary severance. Impact assessment: The works council can evaluate the potential social and economic consequences of the redundancies on employees and provide suggestions to mitigate these effects. While the works council cannot stop redundancies outright, the employer is legally required to take its advice seriously. If the works council opposes the decision or believes the process is unfair, it has legal recourse.\n3. Right to delay (Opschortingsrecht) # If the works council believes that the employer’s decision is premature, lacks proper justification, or is being rushed, it can request a delay.\nDelay via the enterprise chamber (Ondernemingskamer): If the employer disregards the works council’s advice or proceeds without proper consultation, the works council has the right to file a petition with the Enterprise chamber (Ondernemingskamer) of the Amsterdam Court of Appeal. This court handles disputes between the works council and the employer. The Council can request that the court delay the decision to allow for further consultation or evaluation of the redundancy plan.\nThe Enterprise Chamber can:\nSuspend the employer\u0026rsquo;s decision. Annul the employer’s decision if it finds that the works council’s rights were violated. Require further consultation between the employer and the works council. 4. Right to consent (Instemmingsrecht) # While the right to consent is not applicable directly to redundancies, the works council holds a right to consent for significant changes to working conditions, employee policies, and employment benefits. If collective redundancy leads to changes in these areas, the employer must obtain the works council\u0026rsquo;s approval.\nFor example, the works council has the right to approve or reject changes to:\nWorkplace regulations Working hours or shift schedules Training and retraining policies Pension schemes or employee benefits If the works council does not give its consent, the employer can appeal to the court, but the court must consider the works council’s objections carefully.\n5. Right to social plan consultation (Sociaal plan) # 💡 The works council’s involvement ensures that employee interests are considered when crafting the social plan, and it can negotiate for better terms, especially when no union is present.\nA social plan is an agreement between the employer and employees (or their representatives) outlining how redundancies will be handled and how employees will be supported. Although unions typically negotiate social plans, the works council can also play a key role in establishing a social plan during collective redundancy.\nA social plan usually covers important aspects such as:\nSeverance packages beyond statutory requirements. Retraining or redeployment options. Support for finding new employment (such as outplacement services). Compensation for employees nearing retirement. 6. Right to Initiate Investigations (Initiatiefrecht) # In addition to responding to employer-initiated proposals, the works council has the right to take the initiative and make proposals on its own, including during times of restructuring or redundancy.\nProposing alternatives: The works council can propose measures that may help reduce the impact of collective redundancy, such as:\nIntroducing flexible working arrangements or reducing working hours. Offering early retirement packages to certain employees. Proposing internal job transfers or offering retraining to equip employees for different roles within the company. This proactive role allows the works council to influence company policy and protect employees’ jobs to the fullest extent possible.\n7. Protection against retaliation # It’s important to note that members of the works council are legally protected against dismissal as a result of their involvement in Council activities.\nLegal safeguards: Council members cannot be dismissed, disadvantaged, or discriminated against due to their activities on behalf of the works council. This ensures that they can perform their duties without fear of retaliation, even during times of restructuring or redundancy.\n8. Right to legal counsel # The works council has the right to seek legal counsel to assist in its functions and to navigate complex legal matters related to collective redundancy. This ensures that the Council can effectively fulfill its advisory and consultative roles, and adequately protect the interests of employees.\n9. Role in communication and support for employees # Without a union, the works council often becomes the primary source of information and support for employees. It:\nInforms employees about their legal rights and the redundancy process. Acts as a liaison between the employer and the workforce, promoting transparency. Provides emotional and practical support to employees affected by redundancy. The works council can hold information sessions or distribute materials that clarify employee rights, severance packages, and the timeline for redundancies, helping employees navigate the process.\nThe process of a collective redundancy Request for Advice (RFA) # 1. The Entrepreneur (representative of the company) submits an official Request for Advice to the works council # This document outlines the employer’s intention to implement collective redundancies, including the reasons behind the decision, the number of employees involved, and the potential consequences for the workforce.\n2. The Entrepreneur holds a consultation meeting with the works council to present the Request for Advice # The employer is required to meet with the works council to explain the Request for Advice in detail. This meeting provides an opportunity for the works council to ask questions, seek clarifications, and begin the consultation process.\n3. The works council reviews the Request for Advice # The works council will analyze the Request for Advice and the information provided by the employer. This includes assessing the necessity of the redundancies, the justifications provided, the criteria for selecting employees for redundancy, and the potential impact on the remaining workforce.\nThe works council may request additional data or documents from the employer to fully understand the situation, such as financial statements, alternative solutions considered, and any proposed social plan or mitigation measures.\n4. Consultation period begins # During the consultation period, the works council and the employer will engage in discussions aimed at exploring alternatives to redundancy. The works council may suggest measures to prevent or reduce the number of dismissals, such as retraining employees, offering voluntary severance, or internal transfers.\nBoth parties discuss the selection criteria for employees at risk of redundancy and any compensatory measures, such as a social plan that addresses severance, redeployment, or training.\n5. The works council issues formal advice # After reviewing the information and conducting consultations, the works council will provide its formal advice to the employer in writing.\nIf the works council agrees with the employer’s plan, it may recommend proceeding with the redundancy, possibly with adjustments or conditions. If the works council opposes the plan, it can propose alternatives or issue a negative advice, recommending changes or suggesting different actions. 6. Employer’s response to the advice # The employer must consider the works council\u0026rsquo;s advice carefully. If the advice is not followed, the employer must explain why it chose to deviate from the works council’s recommendations. In cases where the works council disagrees, the employer must wait at least one month after providing its decision to allow for further discussions or potential legal action.\n7. Possibility of legal recourse # If the works council believes that its advice was not properly considered, or if it disagrees with the employer’s final decision, it has the right to appeal to the Enterprise Chamber (Ondernemingskamer) within one month of the decision. The Enterprise Chamber can review the employer’s actions, and if the works council’s objections are valid, the court may halt the redundancy or require further consultation.\n8. Implementation of the redundancy plan # After the consultation process is complete and all legal requirements are fulfilled, the employer may proceed with implementing the redundancy plan. Employees will be informed of their redundancy status, severance packages, and any support measures, such as outplacement services or retraining opportunities.\n🗓️ A note on timeline # 💡 Depending on the complexity of the Request for Advice it can take from weeks to months for the process to be complete.\nThere is no set timeline or maximum duration for the collective redundancy process in Dutch law. The length of the process can vary significantly on several factors, including:\nThe complexity of the redundancy plan The scale of the layoffs The time required for the works council to thoroughly review the Request for Advice (RFA) The duration of the consultation between the employer and the works council Potential legal challenges or appeals by the works council Both parties are encouraged to proceed in a timely manner, but the process must be thorough to ensure all legal obligations are met, and that the interests of the employees and the company are carefully considered.\nYour legal rights during collective redundancy # 1. Right to notification and consultation # Collective Redundancy (Notification) Act: Employers must notify the UWV and inform the works council. They are also required to consult with employees or their representatives regarding the dismissals (such as works councils or unions). The consultation process gives employees (via works council or unions) a chance to offer input or alternative suggestions, such as redeployment or voluntary severance packages. 2. Protection from unfair dismissal # Dutch labour law requires that the dismissals be conducted fairly. This means:\nSelection criteria: In the Netherlands, the Proportionality Principle (Afspiegelingsbeginsel) is the key method used for selecting employees for redundancy. It ensures that the selection is made fairly by distributing dismissals proportionally across different age groups and functions. The goal is to maintain a balanced workforce.\nThe employer must divide the workforce into five age categories:\n15-24 years 25-34 years 35-44 years 45-54 years 55+ years Within each category, the \u0026ldquo;Last-In, First-Out\u0026rdquo; principle applies, meaning the most recently hired employees are laid off first, but dismissals must be spread evenly across the age groups to avoid disproportionately affecting any one group. Exceptions may apply (like essential skills).\nSocial plan: In some cases, companies may create a social plan in consultation with the works council to determine additional compensations or measures (e.g., retraining, redeployment).\n3. Transition payment # Under Dutch law, transition payment (transitievergoeding) is the base legal right for employees who are made redundant. This is the minimum compensation that must be provided as part of any separation package.\nIn most cases, employees are entitled to transition payment:\nEmployees who have worked for more than 2 years are entitled to transition payment. The transition payment amount is calculated based on length of service and salary (approximately 1/3rd of the monthly salary per year of service). There are exceptions for employees who are at the statutory retirement age. In many cases, the overall separation packages go beyond this minimum, and can include additional compensation or benefits negotiated through a social plan or other arrangements. Separation packages are not restricted by a minimum of 2 years\u0026rsquo; tenure and can apply to employees with shorter service periods.\n4. Support from the UWV # If you are made redundant, you can apply for unemployment benefits through the Employee Insurance Agency (UWV):\nUnemployent benefits (WW-uitkering): This unemployment benefit is based on your work history and salary. You must register with the UWV and actively seek new employment to receive these benefits. 5. Right to challenge a dismissal # Employees have the right to challenge their dismissal if they believe it was unfair or not properly handled. This can be done by:\nSeeking legal counsel: Consulting an employment lawyer to evaluate the legality of the dismissal and explore options. Filing a claim: Employees can file a claim with the Dutch court (kantonrechter) to contest the dismissal. The court can order reinstatement or compensation if the dismissal is found to be unjust. Sources for Dutch labour laws and works council acts # Government websites # Official Dutch government site with information on employment laws, redundancy, and works council rights.\nCollectief ontslag - Rijksoverheid (NL) Collective redundancies - Business.gov.nl (EN) Works council or staff representation - Business.gov.nl (EN) Employee Insurance Agency (UWV) # The Employee Insurance Agency handles unemployment benefits and collective redundancy processes.\nUWV - Ontslag (NL) UWV - Werkloos (NL) UWV - Dismissal (EN) SER (Social and Economic Council of the Netherlands) # Provides resources on the role of works councils and employment laws.\nSER - Role of works council (NL) Dutch Law Institute (dutch-law.com) # Offers practical guides to Dutch employment laws and collective redundancies.\nDutch Law Institute - Collective redundancy (EN) ","date":"21 April 2025","permalink":"/en/resources/collective-redundancies/","section":"Resources","summary":"","title":"Collective redundancies in The Netherlands with a Dutch works council"},{"content":"Palestinian labour unions have called on workers worldwide to join the Palestinian struggle for liberation. Do you work in a tech role, or at a tech company? And do you want to take action to support the liberation of Palestine? You\u0026rsquo;re not alone!\nGet involved What can you do as a tech worker? # There\u0026rsquo;s a bunch of things you can do as a tech worker to support the fight for the liberation of Palestine:\nTake individual action. Keep talking about Palestine at work, with friends and family, and online. Boycott products and services from companies that support the occupation. Take direct action. Refuse to do or build things that undermine the rights and freedoms of people in Palestine. Organize your workplace. As a tech worker, you\u0026rsquo;re most powerful when you and your coworkers organize together at your workplace. Want some help getting started? Tech workers coalition is happy to support! Get active in existing movements or campaigns. Check out the existing initiatives for an overview of some movements in and outside the Netherlands that you can join. Got another idea? Want to collaborate to make it happen? Get in touch!\nWhy does tech matter? # The Israeli occupation of Palestine needs technology, in at least two ways:\nOperational: The occupation uses tech for its operations. This includes tech used directly in genocide and apartheid, such as the cloud computing infrastructure that Google and Amazon provide to the Israeli military as part of Project Nimbus, or facial recognition tools used to surveill and then murder Palestinians. It also includes everyday tech, from personal electronics to platforms to book accommodation in occupied Palestinian land. Exports: Tech massively contributes to the Israeli economy — and hence its potential survival. In 2023, tech made up 53% of Israeli exports (73.5 billion US dollars). That\u0026rsquo;s how the occupation relies on tech. As a tech worker, you and your coworkers can take steps to make sure that your workplace:\nDoesn\u0026rsquo;t provide goods or services to Israel. The fewer companies provide goods or services to the occupation and its businesses, the more the occupation — at least in the short term — is hampered in its operations. Doesn\u0026rsquo;t purchase goods or services from Israel. The more organizations avoid Israeli tech, the more it\u0026rsquo;ll hurt its exports. Israel is already experiencing a brain drain and is turning into a #ShutDownNation. Any bit of additional pressure helps.\nHow are tech workers powerful? # You might think: \u0026lsquo;Who am I? What can I do? I don\u0026rsquo;t control which customers my company takes on, or who we buy things from\u0026hellip;\u0026rsquo; And you might very well be right! But you\u0026rsquo;ve got options.\nFirst off, there\u0026rsquo;s a bunch of things you can already do on your own, right now.\nFurther, as a tech worker, you stand strongest when you join forces with your coworkers. Why? Because employers need your work. Companies can\u0026rsquo;t make a profit without you and your coworkers\u0026rsquo; labour. Bosses, managers, and shareholders don\u0026rsquo;t produce anything themselves. Workers do that. You and your coworkers do that. Owners and investors only extract from the value that you and your coworkers produce with your work. This is where the potential power of tech workers lies.\nIf your workplace stays disorganized, you\u0026rsquo;re vulnerable. The boss will try to pit you against one another. And then you\u0026rsquo;re all on your own, you\u0026rsquo;ve got no power to demand anything, and everyone\u0026rsquo;s worse off. Don\u0026rsquo;t let that happen!\nBut if you and a majority of your coworkers organize together, you\u0026rsquo;re powerful. Then you have the power to determine what happens at your workplace—because together you could, ultimately, shut down all operations if you don\u0026rsquo;t get what you demand.\nIf you\u0026rsquo;re organized, you can demand higher wages or flexible working hours. And you can refuse to do certain work, or refuse to take on customers or suppliers with ties to the Israeli occupation of Palestine.\nThat\u0026rsquo;s how tech workers are powerful.\nExisting initiatives # Here\u0026rsquo;s an overview of some existing initiatives that work to support the liberation of Palestine, both in the Netherlands and globally.\nOrganization Focus BDS Nederland Foundation that works to end the occupation of Palestine, get Palestinians\u0026rsquo; rights recognized, and Palestinians\u0026rsquo; right of return to their land respected. Nederlands Palestina Komitee Action group that aim to strenghten solidarity in the Netherlands with the Palestinian people. No Azure for Apartheid Worker-led movement at Microsoft to demand that the company end its complicity in Israeli apartheid and genocide. No Tech for Apartheid Worker-led campaign of Google and Amazon workers organizing against the companies\u0026rsquo; $1B Project Nimbus cloud computing contract with the Israeli government and military. Palestine Action Direct action against Israel’s arms trade. Tech Divestment Network Worker-led network of organizations who advocate for divestment from the military-industrial complex in and around the tech industry. Tech for Palestine Coalition of thousands of founders, engineers, product marketers, investors and other professionals who are working in support of Palestinian liberation. Vakbond solidair met Palestina Trade union members, including those from the Federation of Dutch Trade Unions (FNV), calling for solidarity with Palestine and the Palestinian people. Resources # Here are some resources with ideas and information that could help you support the liberation of Palestine.\n","date":"15 April 2025","permalink":"/en/campaigns/palestine/","section":"Campaigns","summary":"Tech workers in the Netherlands take action to support the liberation of Palestine.","title":"Tech workers for Palestine"},{"content":" Disclaimer: This document deals with legal issues and is intended to provide an informational resource only. Tech Workers Coalition doesn't in any way provide legal advice, so don't rely on this document as though it would constitute legal advice. About # This resource provides an overview of Dutch Labour Law, and the protections the law provides with respect to various situations employees may face, or actions taken by employees.[1] It broadly covers different cases of work contracts and situations.\nThe information contained in this resource was prepaped by a Dutch labour lawyer at the request of workers at a major tech company in the Netherlands. It\u0026rsquo;s shared here in modified form with permission, with identifying information removed.\nLegal protections for employees # 1. Permanent contract holders # Employees with permanent contracts in the Netherlands have strong protections under Dutch labour law. Even in cases of legal disputes, it can be difficult for the employer to fire employees unless reasonable grounds are established. Immediate dismissal may not apply if an employee maintains communication and the situation is not aggravated by repeated actions. Also important is that the employee indicates (preferably in writing) that they are available and willing to work. 2. Temporary contract holders # Employees on temporary contracts are more vulnerable, especially if their contracts are not extended. The employer may argue that contract extensions are not possible due to hiring freezes or economic reasons. If an employer decides not to extend the contract than that needs to be communicated one month in advance (depending on the contract, this is when you have a contract of six months or longer). The employer does not need to give a reason. You are entitled to a transition compensation and (if you are entitled to it) to unemployment benefit. In case you are sick and your contract is not prolonged you can apply for sickness benefit at UWV (Dutch social security agency). 3. International employees # International employees may face additional vulnerability if their work permits are linked to their employment. Losing a job can lead to complications with work permits and residency. 4. Dutch citizens # Dutch employees may have more job opportunities but still face potential dismissal depending on the nature of their role and actions. Types of dismissal # 1. Immediate dismissal # Occurs when something severe happens (e.g., theft, violence, property damage). Examples include stealing money, violent behaviour, or actions that cause significant damage to property or people. It is also applicable when employees engage in illegal actions, provide false testimonies, or grossly fail in their duties. Grounds for immediate dismissal # Providing false testimonies from previous employers. Incompetence in performing work. Being drunk at work, theft, or insulting the employer or colleagues. Engaging in illegal activities or gross misconduct. 2. Normal dismissal # Happens on reasonable grounds, such as sickness, economic issues, or employee behaviour that disturbs labour conditions. If an employee’s behaviour makes it unreasonable for the employer to continue the working relationship, it may be grounds for dismissal. Types of employee actions and risks # If an employee engages in continuous provocative actions, such as public protests or demonstrations against the company’s policies, this may escalate into a reason for dismissal. A reason could be disturbed working relations, so reasonably the employer cannot continue the working relation.\nRepeated actions after warnings can lead to the employer moving forward with contract termination. Contract termination of temporary contracts is only possible if there is a clause in the contract.\n1. Internal vs external actions # Actions taken within the company building or directed toward internal employees are treated differently than actions targeting the wider public. It also depends on whether the employer is specifically mentioned or targeted in the action or that the employee participates in an anti-war protest outside the company. Employers may need to provide warnings before dismissal, but legal protections exist for employees engaging in reasonable actions, such as peaceful protests. 2. Can I refuse to perform certain tasks with an appeal to conscientious objection? # If you refuse to perform certain tasks with an appeal to conscientious objection the employer needs to take your concerns into account.\nAn ‘urgent serious conscientious objection’ can be an exception to perform (parts of your) work. This can be due to religious considerations or known and acknowledged ethical or political motives. For example, the printing of papers with a sexual content, construction of motorways through nature areas, working with natural fur, a civil servant who does not wish to cooperate in a marriage of people from the LGBTIQA+ community.\nAn employer can and should deal with this in a respectable way. For example, by giving the employee other tasks. If this is not possible, then the employer might consider re-location within the company, possibly with additional schooling. If this is not possible, then as a final solution the employee can be fired or must resign, or a settlement agreement is negotiated.\nIt has to be clear to the employer that you refuse to do the work due to conscientious objections. You can proactively communicate this to the employer, and state which tasks you are not able to do.\nThere are by law two ways in which the employer can fire you in this hypothetical occasion:\na. Immediate dismissal # Based on article 678, under 2 item j. in book 7 of the Dutch civil code can persistent refusal of work give an urgent reason for dismissal (immediate dismissal).[2] If you are dismissed on this ground, you are immediately without work and also the UWV will most likely decide not to give you unemployment benefit. You need to go to court within 2 months to fight this dismissal. b. Dismissal # On the basis of article 7:699 paragraph 3 the grounds for dismissal are listed.[3] Under article 669, under 3, item f says the following (cited together with lemma 1, for context):\n1. The employer may terminate the employment contract if there are reasonable grounds for doing so and redeployment of the employee within a reasonable period, with or without training, in another suitable position is not possible or not reasonable.\n(\u0026hellip;)\n3. Reasonable grounds as referred to in paragraph 1 are understood to mean: (\u0026hellip;) f. the employee\u0026rsquo;s refusal to perform the agreed work due to a serious conscientious objection, provided that it is plausible that the agreed work cannot be performed in an adapted form;\nIn this scenario the employer needs to ask permission to the judge to terminate the contract, so this will take longer. You are employed during the procedure and you can apply for unemployment benefit, if you are entitled to do that.\n3. Can I strike when I don’t agree with the activities of my employer because of conscientious objection? # The right to strike is not written in Dutch labour law. It is based on the European Social Charter from the Council of Europe. It is only possible to restrict the right to strike if this is urgently necessary, for example because of public safety or protecting the rights of others, or based on national security or public health.\nOur Dutch Supreme Court has ruled in 2015 that it is no longer needed that a strike needs to be announced and it doesn’t have to be a means of last resort. The admissibility of a strike depends on:\nThe nature of the action The relationship between the action and the goal The damage to the interests of the employer or third parties The effect on vulnerable people, like patients, old age people, young people and handicapped persons. 4. Can I denounce my employer publicly or with other colleagues because of immoral activities based on conscientious objection? # Freedom of speech is laid down in article 7 of our constitution and also in article 10 of the ECHR. As an employee you are allowed to criticize your employer, as happens in the NL regularly, for example from civil servants who are holding a sit-in each week to ask for a ceasefire in Palestine.\nThe limits are that an employee should not harm the interests of the employer. If an employee communicates insults and discriminatory messages about the employer or colleagues this is different of course. Important to note here is that the employer needs to ensure a safe position for all its employees.\nAn employer can also have guidelines regarding social media policies. In that it can state that IT-systems, mails, social media etc cannot be used in a way which is unethical or illegal. It is important that the communication is decent, it also depends on if is clear that the employee works for the employer.\nAlso important are the motives of the employee. Are they motivated by public interest, company interest, or personal interest? It is easier for an employer to restrict statements by an employee if they are clearly motivated by revenge, for example.\nAn employer needs to give a warning first. I think it is difficult for an employer to dismiss an employee with immediate effect based on an employee\u0026rsquo;s communications. Finally, It is also important to take into account what kind of employer it is. If this is a local bakery it is seen differently than if the employer is a large governmental institution.\n5. Engagement with unions # Joining a union can offer support in legal cases, depending on the quality and availability of union representation. Employer actions and company policies # 1. Firing employees # Employers must provide a notification if they intend to dismiss an employee, and the employee has the right to protest against the dismissal within two months. Dismissal may still occur if labour conditions have deteriorated to the point where reinstating the employee would be unreasonable. 2. Changes to company policies # Companies may update codes of conduct or internal policies to address ongoing actions and prevent further disruptions. Employers may remove internal posts or communications that they deem controversial or problematic, even if compliant with internal rules. Conclusion # Dutch employees enjoy protection against wrongful dismissal by an employer. This is particularly true for people with an indefinite contract of course, but also those with a temporary contract have rights.\nFor an employer to take action much depends on the kind of action, the timing and the tone of the action and whether or not there has been previous communication. It also depends on the initial response by the employer and whether or not the employer is open for debate and alterations to the work, for example.\nAnnex # Legal texts can sometimes change. The legal articles cited here are confirmed accurate as of April 2025. Always check the original legal source text for the latest authoritative version.\n[1] For an excellent overview of Dutch labour law in English, see the following report: Dismissal law in The Netherlands (2018), by Tom F.M. Bremers, Emma A.P. Ficq, Caroline J.G.P. Huizinga, and Merel A.C. Keijzer of the European Working Group of Labour Law. This report is from 2018, so might not be fully up-to-date on specific issues.\n[2] Dutch Civil Code, Book 7, article 678: Urgent reasons for the employer to terminate the employment agreement immediately.\n1. An urgent reason for the employer in the meaning of Article 7:677, paragraph 1, consists of such acts, characteristics or behaviour on the part of the employee, having the result that the employer reasonably cannot be expected to continue the employment agreement. 2. An urgent reason may, among others, exist: a. when the employee has misled the employer at the conclusion of the employment agreement by showing false or forged testimonials or by deliberately providing false information about the way in which his previous employment ended; b. when the employee seriously seems to lack the competence or the capability to perform the work to which he has engaged himself; c. when the employee, despite warning, takes to drunkenness or other dissipated behaviour; d. when the employee makes himself guilty of theft, embezzlement, deceit, fraud or other indictable offences as a result of which he becomes unworthy of the employer\u0026rsquo;s trust; e. when the employee batters, crudely insults or seriously threatens the employer, his family members or other employees; f. when the employee tempts or tries to tempt the employer, his family members or other employees to perform or participate in actions contradictory to law or good morals; g. when the employee deliberately, or despite warning, recklessly damages the property of the employer or exposes it to serious danger; h. when the employee deliberately, or despite warning, recklessly exposes himself or others to serious danger; i. when the employee makes public characteristics regarding the household or enterprise of the employer which he was expected to keep confidential; j. when the employee persistently refuses to comply with reasonable instructions or orders given by or on behalf of the employer; k. when the employee crudely neglects the obligations imposed on him by the employment agreement; l. when the employee deliberately or because of reckless behaviour becomes or remains unable to perform the contracted work. [3] Contractual provisions leaving the decision whether an urgent reason in the meaning of Article 7:677, paragraph 1, exists to the discretion of the employer, are null and void. Dutch Civil Code, Book 7, article 669:\n1. The employer may terminate the employment contract if there are reasonable grounds for doing so and redeployment of the employee within a reasonable period, with or without training, to another suitable position is not possible or not reasonable. Redeployment is in any case not reasonable if there is culpable conduct or omission on the part of the employee as referred to in paragraph 3, section e. 2. Redeployment, as referred to in paragraph 1, is not required if the employee holds a religious office. 3. Reasonable grounds as referred to in paragraph 1 are understood to mean: a. the loss of jobs as a result of the termination of the company\u0026rsquo;s activities or, viewed over a future period of at least 26 weeks, the necessary loss of jobs as a result of measures being taken for efficient business operations due to economic circumstances; b. illness or disability of the employee as a result of which he is no longer able to perform the agreed work, provided that the period referred to in Article 670, paragraphs 1 and 11, has expired and it is plausible that no recovery will occur within 26 weeks, or in the case of an employee who has reached the age referred to in Article 7, section a, of the General Old Age Act (Algemene Ouderdomswet), 6 weeks, and that the agreed work cannot be performed in an adapted form within that period; c. the regular inability to perform the agreed work as a result of illness or disability of the employee with unacceptable consequences for business operations, provided that the regular inability to perform the agreed work is not the result of insufficient care on the part of the employer for the working conditions of the employee and it is plausible that no recovery will occur within 26 weeks, or in the case of an employee who has reached the age referred to in Article 7, section a, of the General Old Age Act, 6 weeks, and that the agreed work cannot be performed in an adapted form within that period; d. the employee’s incapacity to perform the agreed work, other than as a result of illness or disability of the employee, provided that the employer has informed the employee of this in good time and has given him sufficient opportunity to improve his performance and the incapacity is not the result of insufficient care on the part of the employer for the employee’s training or for the employee’s working conditions; e. culpable acts or omissions on the part of the employee, such that the employer cannot reasonably be expected to allow the employment contract to continue; f. the employee’s refusal to perform the agreed work due to a serious conscientious objection, provided that it is plausible that the agreed work cannot be performed in an adapted form; g. a disturbed working relationship, such that the employer cannot reasonably be expected to allow the employment contract to continue; h. circumstances other than those mentioned above that are such that the employer cannot reasonably be expected to allow the employment contract to continue. ","date":"19 March 2025","permalink":"/en/resources/dutch-labour-law-workplace-action/","section":"Resources","summary":"","title":"Protections for workplace action in Dutch Labour Law"},{"content":"This resource discusses why workplace organizing works, the foundations of organizing, and steps you can take to start organizing effectively to get the workplace changes you want.\nWhy organizing works # Organizing at your workplace is effective. Why? Because businesses need workers for their survival.\nOnly you, the workers, actually get things done for the business. You make the goods. You deliver the services. You produce value for the organization. Bosses, managers, and shareholders don\u0026rsquo;t produce value. They just extract the value created by you, the worker.\nWithout workers, nothing gets done. No goods get made. No service is delivered. Without goods or services, there\u0026rsquo;s no profit. And without profit, the business collapses.\nThat means that you and your coworkers can be immensely powerful\u0026hellip; if you stick together and organize!\nOrganize, and you can win the workplace changes you want.\nOrganizing foundations # Find your drive # What would you want to change about your work? Why do you want it? Know your reasons. Know you deserve it, and that you’re worth it. Get motivated.\nYour reasons for organizing will sustain you through any hard times.\nConnect with coworkers # Meet up socially with your coworkers. Hold informal coffee chats, set up a memes channel, do games nights and recipe swaps. This way you build networks, relationships, and trust for a foundation from which to organize.\nForm a planning team # Find a couple of coworkers who also want to organize. Check that they have the time and energy to do so. You\u0026rsquo;re the planning team now!\nSelect a regular time outside work to meet up with your planning team. This builds solidarity and gives time to strategize together.\nTake action # Do you want to get results from your organizing? Then take strategic steps. Here\u0026rsquo;s a roadmap you can use to begin to organize effectively in your workplace.\nStep 1: Map your workplace # Map out everyone in your workplace (except bosses and managers) in a list or spreadsheet. If your company has an organizational chart, then you can use that as a basis.\nFor each person, list:\nName Job title Department or team Topics that matter to them, both at work and personally Are they already on board with organizing? Sentiment towards unions Whether they\u0026rsquo;re a leader (see: Step 2) Who they could bring on board Last time contacted Contact details Update the map every week.\n💡 Keep your workplace map strictly inside your planning team! If the map leaks out, management is likely going to use it to sabotage your efforts.\nStep 2: Identify leaders # Identify the people that others listen to. This could be for any reason at all\u0026mdash;maybe they’re respected for their work, but maybe they’ve just got great memes in the company Slack. Whatever the reason, these are the people you want on board. Recruit them (if you can), they’ll recruit others.\nStep 3: Talk with more coworkers # Talk with more of your coworkers about what frustrates them. Do they want more flexibility? Higher pay? Better safety standards? Three colleagues sitting in a room together complaining about management are halfway there.\nGetting coworkers fired up is mostly listening and asking some questions here and there. Once people have identified some problems, ask how they’d change the situation.\n💡 Take all conversations about organizing off of work computers and channels as soon as possible\u0026mdash;for example company email, Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Google Meet. Work channels may sometimes be monitored, and devices that you got from work could contain tracking software.\nOnce you\u0026rsquo;ve got more of your coworkers on board, you can start with actions and campaigns to build toward getting the workplace changes you want.\nTips for talking about organizing # Always address the person you\u0026rsquo;re talking with directly as you, or you and your coworkers. Avoid terms such as \u0026lsquo;we\u0026rsquo;, \u0026lsquo;us\u0026rsquo;, or \u0026lsquo;I\u0026rsquo;, because it removes the person you\u0026rsquo;re speaking with from the picture. You and your coworkers can organize together for better work conditions at your workplace. Weird one: be kind, but don\u0026rsquo;t say \u0026rsquo;thank you\u0026rsquo; to your coworker for the fact that they\u0026rsquo;re organizing. Your coworker is not doing you a favour. You and your coworkers are together standing up to get the workplace changes you want. Join today # Would you like to get started organizing at your workplace? Empower yourself by becoming a workplace organizer with the support from the Tech Workers Coalition!\nJoin Tech Workers Coalition Thanks to United Tech and Allied Workers and Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee for helpful resources.\n","date":"1 March 2025","permalink":"/en/resources/organize/","section":"Resources","summary":"","title":"Organize your workplace"},{"content":"Terminology # The whole sphere of collective labour agreements is often filled with specialist jargon. Here\u0026rsquo;s an overview to clarify the main terms.\nDutch English Description Algemeen verbindend verklaring (AVV) Generally binding agreement If a collective labour agreement is generally binding, then the agreement holds for all workers in a role who meet specific conditions. Employing companies are bound by generally binding agreements and can\u0026rsquo;t opt out. Bedrijfstak or sector Industry For example \u0026rsquo;tech industry\u0026rsquo;, \u0026lsquo;manufacturing industry\u0026rsquo;, \u0026lsquo;hospitality industry\u0026rsquo;. Beroep Profession The work or role you do in exchange for wages or other forms of payment. Collectieve arbeidsovereenkomst (CAO) Collective labour agreement A contract that is usually signed between one or more employer, and one or more worker organisation Onderneming Enterprise, venture, or company In the context of collective labour agreeents and works councils, the term generally refers to an employing company as an entity. Ondernemingsraad (OR) Works council Dutch law requires organisations of 50 or more workers to have a works council. Smaller organisations can also have a works council if they elect to do so. Through the works council, representatives from the company talk directly with the boss. Vakbond Workers\u0026rsquo; union A workers’ union is a set of its members, the workers who have joined the union. Werkgeversorganisatie or werkgeversvereniging Employer organisation, employer\u0026rsquo;s union There are at least two forms of employer unions: A collective of companies, so that they can be represented at a government level, for example as is the case with the collective of small and medium-sized companies (midden- en kleinbedrijf, MKB)A regular union Wet open overheid (WOO) Law open government A law that entitles people to get information from the government on any government operations and decisions. In some countries this is also known as a freedom of information act. What types of collective labour agreement are there? # There are two main types of collective labour agreement in the Netherlands: an industry collective labour agreement, and a company collective labour agreement.\nIndustry collective labour agreement # An industry collective labour agreement is an agreement signed between:\nan employer or employer organisation (industry collective) an employee organisation (industry union) An industry collective labour agreement is only applicable to workers at companies in that industry. For example, only workers at companies registered as metal and technology businesses can be part of the metal and technology collective labour agreement, while workers at for example Booking.com are covered by the travel industry collective labour agreement.\nCompany collective labour agreements # A company collective labour agreement is an agreement signed between:\nan employer an employee organisation (generally a union) A company collective labour agreement is only applicable to workers at the company that signed the agreement. Workers in similar roles at other companies must get their own collective labour agreement.\nA collective labour agreement may either include every worker at a company, or only workers in certain roles or professions at that company. What\u0026rsquo;s in a collective labour agreement? # A collective labour agreement can cover pretty much any aspect of work and working conditions that can be collectively agreed. This can include, for example:\nJob description Work hours Payment, such as salary or bonuses Travel allowance Holidays Budget for training or schooling Guidelines for promotion Pension plans Here are some examples of collective labour agreements:\nCollective labour agreement for workers at technical installation companies (in Dutch) Collective labour agreement for workers at the ING Bank (in Dutch) Collective labour agreement for call centre workers (in Dutch) When is a collective labour agreement generally binding? # In some cases a collective labour agreement is declared generally binding. A generally binding collective labour agreement applies to all workers in a certain role, as long as they meet certain conditions as specified in the agreement. Generally binding calls remove the need for workers to get collective labour agreements on a company-by-company basis.\nIs it a good thing if a collective labour agreement is generally binding? # A generally binding collective labour agreement often works out as a net positive for workers in an entire profession. For example, in August 2023, call centre workers had a collective labour agreement declared generally binding for anyone who works as a call centre worker\u0026mdash;regardless of what their individual companies had agreed. (Or failed to agree.) A total of 40,000 workers are now covered by the call centre worker collective labour agreement.\nDoes every worker have a collective labour agreement? # Not all workers have a collective labour agreement that applies to their role.\nAlso, beware of bosses saying something like the following:\nSure we follow the collective labour agreement! We just haven\u0026rsquo;t officially signed on to it\nSuch comments from bosses are red flags. As a worker, if your employer hasn\u0026rsquo;t signed on to a collective labour agreement, and if no collective labour agreement is generally binding for your role, then your boss is in no way bound by a collective labour agreement.\nFurther resources # Would you like to learn more about collective labour agreements in the Netherlands? Here are some further resources:\nWhat is a collective labour agreement (in Dutch) What is an employer organisation (in Dutch) List of CAOs (in Dutch) Want more help understanding your collective labour agreement? Or whether you even have one? A fellow tech worker is happy to help! Join Tech Workers Coalition Netherlands.\n","date":"22 January 2025","permalink":"/en/resources/cao/","section":"Resources","summary":"","title":"What's a collective labour agreement (CAO)?"},{"content":"What happens next? # You\u0026rsquo;ve taken the first step. Here\u0026rsquo;s what happens next:\nYou\u0026rsquo;re automatically subscribed to the Tech Workers Coalition newsletter with updates on meetups, trainings, and actions. You\u0026rsquo;ll get invited to the Tech Workers Coalition Slack, where you can meet fellow tech workers from all over the world 🌍 In the meantime, join one of the upcoming events.\nDo you have any questions? Feel free to reach out via email (hey@techwerkers.nl) or through one of our socials.\n","date":"1 January 0001","permalink":"/en/join/success/","section":"Join the Tech Workers Coalition","summary":"","title":"Congrats 🥳"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"/en/twc-global/index.yaml","section":"Events for TWC Global","summary":"","title":"Events for TWC Global"},{"content":" Your details Fill out the following details so that a fellow tech worker can check that you\u0026rsquo;re eligible to join. Check the joining principles\nEmail First name Last name How can we find you?\nLink #1 Link #2 Employer (if any) Your goals What would you like to achieve with the Tech Workers Coalition? This helps connect you with the right people and resources.\nThere was an error submitting your application. Please each out to hey@techwerkers.nl Submit Want to more info? Learn more about Tech Workers Coalition.\n","date":null,"permalink":"/en/join/","section":"Join the Tech Workers Coalition","summary":"","title":"Join the Tech Workers Coalition"},{"content":"Tech Workers Coalition reserves the right to reject join requests from people who:\nwork in a role that involves the management, disciplining, or surveillance of workers. For example, who work as a boss, people manager, HR member, or team leader. work in a role that involves or facilitates the surveillance, arrest, imprisonment, or killing of workers. For example, who work with the police, in the prison system, military, or weapons industry. want to join wholly or in part for business purposes, for example to promote a product or do user testing. want to study or interview tech workers in their role as a researcher or journalist. Thanks for understanding! If you have any questions about these eligibility principles, get in touch.\nBack to the join form ","date":"1 January 0001","permalink":"/en/join/principles/","section":"Join the Tech Workers Coalition","summary":"","title":"Who can join?"}]