Saints and Stars gym chain fined €300k for breaching work rules

Amsterdam gym chain Saints and Stars has been hit with more than €300,000 in fines for breaching Dutch employment laws.

The biggest fine of €234,000 after labour inspectors found it hired 25 non-EU nationals without permits and had failed to check the identity of three staff.

The gym was at the centre of controversy last year when city newspaper Het Parool reported that it forced cleaners from Indonesia and the Philippines to work 17 hours a day and share beds with strangers while working in its four branches.

The exposée prompted several trainers and influencers to cancel their memberships at the €139-a-month gym. Last December a judge awarded five Filipino cleaners €15,000 each in compensation.

The latest fines also included €60,000 for failing to comply with the laws on minimum wage and holiday pay, after inspectors were unable to determine how many hours employees had worked and whether they had received the minimum wage.

The chain was also fined €22,500 for not observing mandatory break times.

The inspectors also issued two official warnings to Saints and Stars, meaning the gyms could be temporarily closed if they breach the rules a third time in the next five years.

The company said it would not appeal against the fines. “This should not have happened,” owner Tom Moos said in a press statement.