action against rogue shops on Kalverstraat and Nieuwendijk
The Pakistani Ali W. never seems very impressed by government ripening. This Friday afternoon, too, he stands resignedly in his relatively spacious Travelers souvenir shop at the head of Nieuwendijk, at number 61. A team of inspectors has just invaded as part of the investigation under the revealing code name Checkmate. Gray sweater over a blue shirt, medium length gray locks, speaking soft English to those who question him.
Prison sentences
In 2016, he was given 4 months in prison plus community service for human smuggling because he had employees work in his souvenir shop without a work permit. In 2019 he was sentenced to 2 months in prison for his conviction had concealed in the Bibob procedure with which the government wants to prevent ‘that wrong money from flowing into the city’. The conviction from 2016 was accelerated after cassation by the Supreme Court.
The tax authorities have collected millions of euros on W.’s affairs, and investigations into some of his properties, the upper floors of which are rented, can be seized.
The municipality, the tax authorities, the police, the judiciary and the labor inspectorate have been targeting Ali W. and his shops for many years, and are also jointly stepping up the fight against dishonest entrepreneurs in souvenir shops and related tourist businesses.
In November, souvenir shops on Nieuwendijk and Nieuwe Nieuwstraat were closed again for six months because illegal soft drugs were being sold. In 2021, Mayor Femke Halsema left 6 souvenir shops and tobacconists on Nieuwendijk Close because they sold stuff to process hard drugs. Ali W. has been fined nine (substantial) fines since 2010, mainly due to personnel without a work permit. He paid three fines totaling 24,000 euros.
Thirty officials
As of 2018, during six checks, he was found not only to have illegal workers in his stores, but to overwork them and pay less than minimum wage. He paid the fine of 11,250 euros for violating the Working Hours Act, but mixed the 122,000 euros in other fines.
That is why a team of about thirty officials, led by the Dutch labor inspection, will visit the shops on Friday afternoon, where bailiffs mainly confiscate a good dozen suitcases, bags and other somewhat more expensive items.
With a specialist in counterfeit branded goods, W. scoured some shelves with the well-known tourist paraphernalia that all souvenir shops in the area offer. Wooden tulips, socks with a weed logo, Amsterdam hats and busy growing T-shirts, cannabis lollipops, suitcases and bags. Some bags and images are taken along because of brand counterfeiting.
The basement is filled with dozens of suitcases and bags and half-disassembled mannequins and busts.
When the team of inspectors has just entered the business under the guidance of an agent, a man in a blue coat, a bag and a cup of coffee in his hand still suspects that he is a customer. The labor inspectors recognize him from an earlier reconnaissance as an employee. He and W. reluctantly admit it. He meekly walks to a quiet place for an interrogation.
W.’s shop at Nieuwendijk 99 (Fashion Fun) is run by his wife. In those at Nieuwendijk 105 (Leather Point) and Kalverstraat 1 (Trésor), some of those present admit to being staff after some questioning. Sometimes they tell the well-known stories that they are ‘even on the shop passenger for a friend’ or have just started working and do not yet know what they earn. One employee says he has been employed for two years and has always been paid in cash.
The businesses at Nieuwendijk 99 and 105 have previously received a warning because foreign nationals were working there without a permit.
No wage payments
The labor inspectorate has not found any wage payments in the systems since July, while all four stores were open as usual. Wonderful. It is known from previous research that W.’s umbrella My Choice BV usually employs eight employees, with the exception of a few family members, who were previously said to be underpaid.
There is no administration anywhere in the shops, so the labor inspectors make an unexpected visit to the accountant in the afternoon. There is also no working time registration to be found there. Other papers are still under investigation.
Hopes are focused on images captured by W.’s surveillance cameras, which are being requisitioned. It must show whether the information from the labor inspection is correct that staff work from ten to ten every day, which of course is not allowed. Based on such images, the Inspectorate can continue that W. will be released within 48 hours.
The hired porters fill two trucks with confiscated items, including more than 300 luxury suitcases from the souvenir shops. Under the warm interest of shoppers, they take designer bags, expensive shoes and lots of clothes from the more luxurious store in Kalverstraat.
Project manager Bianca van Breugel of Team Amsterdam of the Dutch Labor Inspectorate is satisfied with the action.
“In any case, employees who have been reported to work for Mr. W. have been found at several locations and valuables can be seized in all stores,” says Van Breugel. “Those who do not comply with the laws and regulations create unfair competition for the honest entrepreneurs. I already saw someone give us a thumbs up from another store.”