Brancheorganisaties: ‘Zelfstandigen die via intermediair werken zijn net zo goed ondernemers’
# Industry Groups Push for Equal Recognition of Intermediary-Based Self-Employed Workers
Five major Dutch industry organizations—ABU, Bovib, NBBU, RIM, and VvDN—have called on lawmakers to fully recognize self-employed workers (zzp'ers) as legitimate entrepreneurs under Dutch law, even when they work through intermediaries. The groups argue that the current legal framework does not adequately acknowledge the entrepreneurial status of these workers. They are also requesting that policymakers remove the criterion based on the number of clients, which currently affects how self-employed status is assessed.
The appeal directly addresses gaps in the Zelfstandigenwet (Self-Employed Persons Act). Currently, the law's recognition of entrepreneurship appears incomplete for those operating via intermediaries—a significant segment of the Dutch freelance and ZZP (Dutch self-employed) economy. By loosening the multiple-client requirement and clarifying intermediary-based work status, these organizations suggest the law would better reflect actual economic relationships in the labor market.
This development reflects ongoing tension between legal definitions and economic reality in the Dutch self-employment sector. How regulatory bodies respond will likely influence access to certain protections, tax treatment, and operational flexibility for intermediary-dependent contractors across multiple sectors.