Dutch seem set to say "NO" to migrant Polish labor in enlarged EU

Despite the fact that only 10 out of 150 deputies turned up for the debate, the Dutch Finance Minister, Gerit Zalm, demanded that the Netherlands close its labor market to protect it from a flood of cheap labor from Poland. The "open door" policy was only defended by the leftist opposition. "We should admire what these countries have already done, and help them to solve their problems," said Jan Jakob van Dijk, who went on to listing the most significant problems in Poland's readiness to join the Union as food safety, cases of mad cow disease, and the large number of dairies and slaughterhouses which have not fulfilled EU requirements. The Dutch ruling coalition announced that the Netherlands should close their labor market to Poland, and do this as soon as possible. The Dutch Parliament will vote on the issue on December 15, following the publication of a report on the issue. (Gazeta Wyborcza, p. 6) A.K.