Annelies Looije of Looye Growers, speaking to the Financieele Dagblad, emphasized the need for the sector to shed its reputation as a source of low-paid temporary labor for mass production, often provided by tomato growers. In it, she advocates stricter rules to combat the exploitation of migrant workers, reacting to the recent negative news.
"Outrageous situations are certainly there. For example, letting two hundred Ukrainians work illegally, as came out earlier this year. I think that 99% of the industry does things correctly. The industry constantly tells its members: do get your act together, because we have to think about our image."
The draft law to combat rogue agency constructions was recently postponed. Apart from introducing the law, Annelies thinks the chances of being caught should also be increased.