Speak Dutch or be fired

[Ban Hammer 13,340]

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A Belgian auto parts supplier has forbidden its workers to speak any language other than Dutch, even during their lunch break, and employees could be fired if they disobey.

"We have people from Italy, India, Poland, Algeria here. It's to avoid cliques forming here and there," said Geert Vermote, human resources manager of HP Pelzer in the town of Genk in Belgium's Dutch-speaking Flanders region.

Language is a sensitive topic in Belgium, particularly in Flanders where locals and politicians are keen to promote the use of Dutch and prevent the encroachment of the country's other main language, French.

Two staff at HP Pelzer have so far received written warnings, out of a workforce of 125 employees, some 70 percent of whom are of foreign origin. Three warnings would lead to a worker being fired.

Belgian newspaper De Standaard reported Thursday that workers of Turkish origin, who make up some 35 percent of the company's workforce, felt the rule was aimed against them and had asked the union to intervene.

Vermote said the rule had been agreed with the company's works council and said the "three strikes" rule applied to warnings of any form.

"It's really nothing other than other rules we have, such as a ban on smoking," he said.

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[russ 1]

I lived in Holland for a few years. If you speak English, it is not easy to speak Dutch. It does not matter how hard you study, everyone prefers to speak English with native English speakers. At big corporations, English is more important than Dutch. (Weird, isn't it...) The Brits, Irish and Americans had an easy time as expats.

On the other hand, being from North Africa or Turkey is not easy in Holland.

It struck me as being as silly as how Mexicans are often treated in the US.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A Belgian auto parts supplier has forbidden its workers to speak any language other than Dutch, even during their lunch break, and employees could be fired if they disobey.

[jundp 191]

Yeah, a friend of ours who is American moved to Holland and got married to a Dutch man. She had to take Dutch classes and reach a certain level before being legally able to work, yet most people speak English at her company....

[pedroh 21]

yea I think there's a very high % of people in Holland that are bilingual or even more languages... but yea I think legally you can't get a job unless you speak dutch

[arwensun1965 0]

A friend of my daughters has just returned from Holland and said that he had to learn Dutch to work. I would say if you are going to live in a different country at least learn some of the language even if it is just hello. People do not know how frustrating it is to have other people speak in a language you do not know all day. I have just had that experience at a company I have just finished with, the girls spoke Polish all day and I was not involved in the conversation at all and I am in England.

[Fandango 1,439]

This is absolutely ludicrous to micromanage peoples' break times & try to govern 'cliques'

And it's Belgium, not Holland...so what's wrong with French?

[jundp 191]

This is absolutely ludicrous to micromanage peoples' break times & try to govern 'cliques'

And it's Belgium, not Holland...so what's wrong with French?

D'Oh. It really is Belgium that this thread is about

Yeah, I don't know why they don't require French instead. Weird.

[SteveLaura 0]

This is absolutely ludicrous to micromanage peoples' break times & try to govern 'cliques'

And it's Belgium, not Holland...so what's wrong with French?

D'Oh. It really is Belgium that this thread is about

Yeah, I don't know why they don't require French instead. Weird.

[T]he town of Genk in Belgium's Dutch-speaking Flanders region. Language is a sensitive topic in Belgium, particularly in Flanders where locals and politicians are keen to promote the use of Dutch and prevent the encroachment of the country's other main language, French.

[Boiler 45,516]

This is absolutely ludicrous to micromanage peoples' break times & try to govern 'cliques'

And it's Belgium, not Holland...so what's wrong with French?

D'Oh. It really is Belgium that this thread is about

Yeah, I don't know why they don't require French instead. Weird.

[T]he town of Genk in Belgium's Dutch-speaking Flanders region. Language is a sensitive topic in Belgium, particularly in Flanders where locals and politicians are keen to promote the use of Dutch and prevent the encroachment of the country's other main language, French.

I thought it was Flemish, I know it's a form of Dutch.

I remember a Dutch friend telling me that at the company he worked for, a subsidiary of a Finnish company, they all spoke English. The Dutch seem to be very good at languages but Finnish is not high on the list.

They had some IT issues, the instructions had come from Germany and they had been translated into English, the problem was solved when they found out that the Germans had translated them from an English (American) original.

[tom&tata 2]

yea I think there's a very high % of people in Holland that are bilingual or even more languages... but yea I think legally you can't get a job unless you speak dutch

I got hired and I did not speak Dutch enough for professional use. I was not a permanent resident, the company sponsored my work visa (if that makes a difference).

What I understood is if you are on family based residency, you need to pass certain level of fluency in Dutch to able to work.

[Fandango 1,439]

[T]he town of Genk in Belgium's Dutch-speaking Flanders region Language is a sensitive topic in Belgium, particularly in Flanders where locals and politicians are keen to promote the use of Dutch and prevent the encroachment of the country's other main language, French.

whoops, missed that bit!

Edited April 23, 2007 by LisaD

[Em&Ed 0]

What I understood is if you are on family based residency, you need to pass certain level of fluency in Dutch to able to work.

That is correct. You also need to pass a certain level to actual be allowed to live in Holland permanently. They just want people to be able to take part in everyday life and to be able to at least speak and understand the basic things, so they won't be completely clueless when the go to a grocery store or the doctor's. Mind you this goes for Holland though, Belgium has their own set of rules.

[almaty 19]

f##k those ethnocentric chops...they did not care what language the american/english troops spoke when the liberated their piss ant size country

[Alex+R 0]

f##k those ethnocentric chops...they did not care what language the american/english troops spoke when the liberated their piss ant size country

LOL, hope Swirly does not see this post!

[mawilson 2,133]

Weird. Why not just say, "European languages only, please"?

(i.e. no Turkish, Arabic, etc)