Eleven Filipinos working as cleaners in a fitness gym have filed a complaint against Saints and Stars in Amsterdam for harsh working conditions, the Philippine Embassy in The Hague, Netherlands, confirmed Sunday.
The Embassy said the Filipinos, along with their Indonesian co-workers, filed a complaint with the Netherlands Labor Authority, alleging that they were forced to work up to 17 hours daily at the gym’s branches from May to June 2025 and were made to sleep at the gym premises without a bed and heating.
It added that assurances were made by embassy officials in a meeting last Friday, 8 August, with six of the 11 workers joined by advocacy groups including Migrante Netherlands, Pinay sa Holland, and the Defend Migrants and Refugees Campaign.
On 24 July, Dutch authorities arrested the gym’s accountant for suspected document forgery. The Embassy also confirmed that Saints and Stars is not accredited with the Migrant Workers Office in Berlin or the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).
The embassy assured that the Filipinos are safe and remain in contact with its assistance-to-nationals team. “Due to privacy regulations, the names of the Filipinos cannot be disclosed at this time,” it added.
DAILY TRIBUNE has sought DMW’s side but has yet to receive a response as of press time.
The affected Filipino workers are housed in a shelter in Amsterdam while the labor case proceeds. They are receiving legal assistance from pro bono Dutch lawyers for both their labor complaint and the impending criminal charges against the gym’s management.