In the bright afternoon sun, the Ukrainian Maria Mezjynska (36) and her mother Halina (68) walk from the bus stop to the yellow community center in Den Helder. Here is a job fair for Ukrainians this afternoon. The event was set up by WerkgeversServicepunt Noord-Holland Noord, a partnership between UWV and municipalities, and ‘Noord-Holland Noord works through’, a partnership that helps job seekers find a job. By bringing employment agencies and employers together with job-seekers Ukrainians, the organizers try to remove (bureaucratic) barriers.
Inside, Mezjynska and her mother are welcomed with jugs of coffee and tea and they are given a form. They can fill in whether they already have a citizen service number and a Dutch bank account, and they can ask questions about their work experience and job wishes.
After completing the form, they take a seat on green chairs set up in front of a beamer. Around it are seven tables with delegations from local employment agencies, with banners, buckets of pens and stacks of flyers.
Eventually about fifteen Ukrainians gather in the hall. The group, mainly women, is one of the two hundred refugees who are received in Den Helder: in a hotel, the emergency apartments in the church, or at private homes. The meeting in Den Helder is the fourth in the Noord-Holland Noord region. Earlier, almost a hundred Ukrainian refugees visited job fairs in Wieringerwerf, De Rijp and Medemblik. According to the Employers’ Service Point, at least 25 of them are now at work.
Also read this report about Ukrainians who have found work: The bank lawyer is now making beds
Gross or net?
The meeting starts with a presentation by Jurgen Bakker (with interpreter), advisor at EURES, an organization that promotes the free movement of workers in Europe. After an introduction about how to deal with ‘the Dutchman’ – “The Dutch are stubborn, often know better, and have planned everything in advance, including a coffee at the neighbors” – he raises the minimum wage.
Immediately there is a commotion in the room. A minimum salary of 1,725 euros gross, about 1,600 euros net – how does that work exactly? What is the difference between gross and net in the Netherlands? For Ukrainians, who are used to expressing salaries in net amounts, the Dutch system, where you pay more tax the more money you earn, is difficult to understand.
There is also uncertainty about living expenses. Ukrainians receive 260 euros per person per month from the municipality. That expires when you go to work. That is why a job only pays off from six hours a week.
Alla Mykolaivne (43) is still a bit overwhelmed, she says after a round of the tables of the employment agencies. She has only been in the Netherlands for a week: she did not want to leave her city of Sumy, in the northeast of Ukraine, for a long time. But when the Russians approached, her husband and son sent her away.
The former civil servant is looking for a job to stay busy, preferably 30-35 hours a week. Since she does not speak English, Mykolaivne is not picky. “I’m interested in everything that comes along.” She has already had discussions with various employment agencies. “I am convinced that I can get a job at one, probably in cleaning.”
Cleaning company still has room
Cleaning company Victoria does indeed have a lot of space. After the previous job market in De Rijp, the company concluded six contracts. Today, it hopes even more refugees will join. “Ukrainians are well motivated and hard workers,” say Lisette de Vries and Maaike Oud. Employment agency Agros spoke to many refugees who want to start immediately, “but we always first organize an intake to discuss what someone is looking for,” says Pepijn van der Mije.
Aleksandra Yushkevytsj (40) is going to make the decision at home, she says when she walks out with a pack of folders. She was an accountant in Ukraine, but because she speaks limited English, she thinks she can’t practice her profession. Her criteria are mainly practical: a job close to home, preferably full-time. “I don’t want to be a burden to the Dutch government,” she says. “Ukrainians can do anything, we want to work every day.”
Daniel Dresden of employment agency SelectionPunt looks back on the afternoon with satisfaction. The green chairs in the community center are now being piled up and pushed aside. “We have spoken to many people, with them we will look for the best job. And we have registered someone who will start cleaning holiday homes on Texel next week.”
A version of this article also appeared in the newspaper of May 28, 2022
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