The Minister of Labour, Simona Bucura-Oprescu, recently met with Karien van Gennip, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Social Affairs and Employment in the Netherlands. This meeting marked a pivotal moment in the discussions about the rights and conditions of Romanian workers in the Netherlands, laying the foundations for a fruitful collaboration in the future.
Simona Bucura-Oprescu says that the main topics addressed during the meeting were aimed at ensuring a fair treatment for the Romanian workforce in the Netherlands, close cooperation in the fields of safety and health at work, continuous professional training, and, last but not least, facilitating an exchange of best practices between relevant ministries and subordinate institutions in the two states.
The Minister of Labor stated that a concrete result of the dialogue was the decision to sign a Memorandum of Collaboration, which includes precise objectives and common actions aimed at improving employment conditions and labor inspection. A special emphasis will be placed on correctly informing Romanian citizens who opt for work opportunities in the Netherlands, guaranteeing them access to vital information about existing rights, vulnerabilities and opportunities.
Minister Simona Bucura-Oprescu emphasized the importance of bilateral cooperation in the field of employment, highlighting the initiative to train joint work teams to increase the visibility and efficiency of the European Employment Service (EURES). These efforts are aimed at facilitating the fair mobility of workers and ensuring an exchange of information and best practices between countries.
Another essential point of the discussions was the development of the social economy in Romania, a direction in which the Minister of Labor proposes to follow the example of the Netherlands. By learning from the experience of the Netherlands, Romania intends to support and promote social economy enterprises, thus maximizing the potential of this sector.
The meeting was also attended by other important members of the Dutch delegation, including Tim Versnel, deputy mayor of the city of Rotterdam, and Hinke Nauta, deputy head of mission at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Bucharest, thus strengthening the framework of the bilateral dialogue.
This meeting comes at a time when approximately 60.000 Romanians resident in the Netherlands are actively contributing to key sectors such as health, IT, construction and agriculture, reflecting the continued importance of dialogue and cooperation between the two states to ensure a fair working environment and conducive to personal and professional development.
