MANILA, Philippines – Eleven Filipinos, together with their Indonesian co-workers in The Netherlands, have filed a case against the Saints and Stars gym for “harsh working conditions,” the Philippine Embassy in The Hague said.
In a Facebook post on Saturday, the embassy assured “steadfast support” and assistance to the Filipino cleaners who filed the case with The Netherlands Labor Authority against the gym owners and managers.
Embassy officials held a meeting on Aug. 8 with six of the 11 Filipinos who confirmed that they “worked for 17 hours daily at various gym branches from May to June 2025.”
According to them, they were “made to sleep without a bed and heating.”
The meeting at the embassy was attended by representatives of the Migrante Netherlands, Pinay sa Holland, and the Defend Migrants and Refugees campaign.
“Currently all 11 Filipino workers are being housed in a shelter in Amsterdam while their labor case is being heard,” the embassy said.
“They are also being assisted by pro bono Dutch lawyers in the said labor case and in the planned filing of criminal charges against the owners and managers of the gym company,” it added.
The embassy said that it has been in communication with the Filipino cleaners since early July when the case first arose.
The embassy thanked the Filipino workers for “being vigilant in protecting their rights,” as well as Filipino community groups which provided support to the Filipinos.
