MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed that 11 Filipinos working for a gym company in The Netherlands has filed a labour complaint against their employer for “harsh working conditions.”
In a statement, the Embassy of the Philippines in The Hague said that the 11 Filipinos, working as cleaners, together with their Indonesian coworkers, has filed complaints with the Netherlands Labour Authority against the gym company Saints and Stars in Amsterdam.
The Filipinos narrated to the Embassy that their employer made them work for 17 hours daily at various gym branches from May to June 2025, and were made to sleep at the premises without a bed and heating.
Representatives from the Embassy met with six of the 11 complainants last Friday, 8 August 2025, together with representatives of Migrante Netherlands, Pinay sa Holland, and the Defend Migrants and Refugees Campaign.
The embassy also confirmed that per inquiry with the Migrant Workers Office in Berlin, the Gym Saints and Stars is not accredited with them, nor with the Department of Migrant Workers Affairs (DMW) in Manila.
Meanwhile, the embassy gave its assurance for its “steadfast support and assistance” for the Filipino cleaners.
“Currently, the 11 Filipino workers are being housed in a shelter in Amsterdam while the labour case is being heard,” the Embassy said.
“They are also being assisted by pro bono Dutch lawyers in said labour case, and in the planned filing of criminal charges against the owners and managers of the gym company,” the Embassy added.
The Embassy has been in communication with the Filipino cleaners since early July when the case first arose; and has also been in close coordination with the Migrant Workers Office in Berlin in providing the necessary assistance.
At present, the identity of the Filipino workers cannot be disclosed due to privacy regulations, the Embassy stated.
