Nieuws van de afdeling

18 July 2009

Bring back employment permits for migrant workers

In its approach to migrant workers, the Netherlands is repeating mistakes made forty years ago, say Sadet Karabulut and Paul Ulenbelt, Members of Parliament for the SP

16 July 2009

'No Moroccans': Labour inspectorate must put an end to discrimination by supermarkets

SP Member of Parliament Sadet Karabulut is urging Social Affairs Minister Piet Hein Donner to send the labour inspectorate to deal with supermarkets who discriminate on the basis of race or age. Her question came in the wake of revelations that Servex, the firm which operates major supermarket chain Albert Heijn's 'AH to go' station subsidiaries, has instructed managers at some branches not to hire Moroccan staff or anyone over the age of 17. In the Netherlands, minimum wages are lower for very young workers.

15 July 2009

Guantánamo: 'Premier has a great deal of explaining to do'

SP Member of Parliament and foreign affairs spokesman Harry van Bommel believes that Dutch Premier Jan Peter Balkenende has a lot of explaining to do when it comes to the government's about turn regarding their willingness to receive former prisoners from Guantánamo Bay. “Until not very long ago taking prisoners from Guantánamo was out of the question," says Van Bommel, "but following a conversation between President Obama and Premier Balkenende there is suddenly space for this. It seems that every time the Netherlands drops in on an American President we have to take along a gift."

3 July 2009

No-one expects to be 'raised up' by Wouter Bos

Attempts by the governing elite to push through its models of progress are the most significant cause of the gap which has opened up between rulers and ruled, says Agnes Kant. In her view the role of a real people's party is to listen to the people and take what they say seriously.

2 July 2009

Emancipation

Amongst a section of parliament the fear prevails that whenever citizenship courses for immigrants are not separated by gender, a proportion of women will disappear into the undergrowth. I don't share this fear. The organisation of separate language and citizenship or naturalisation classes for women leads in reality to the subordination of immigrant women. It is of primary importance that local authorities in particular do not do this.

2 July 2009

End investment in banned and controversial weapons

The SP is seeking clarification from Finance Minister and Labour Party leader Wouter Bos regarding the government's attitude to investments by major Dutch bank ING in controversial weapons. “It's time to ban such investments," says SP Member of Parliament Krista van Velzen. “Clearly we can't leave this to the bankers' own consciences."

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