Netherlands: Complaints about construction workers dress

The heads of a contractor firm working on a large renovation project in Almere were asked last week if the construction workers could change their short pants into something with longer legs. The Muslim neighbors had complained about the workers wearing such bare clothing.

In order not to succumb in the tropical heat of the past weeks, the men had exchanged their work overalls for short pants and a t-shirt. Construction workers Robin Willemsen says that they all walk around with short pants. Together with his colleagues he's renovating the outside of 750 residences in Almere.

Willemsen says that the contractor came to tell them that Muslim neighbors had complained that their clothing were too bare and too short. The comment was duly noted, but Willemsen says that they don't intend to dress in overalls in such sweltering heat.

The complaints were new for Richard Hekert of construction firm Mateboer from Kampen, and he says there were agreements about correct clothing, and that includes short pants and t-shirts too, but if residents think it's a serious nuisance, they'll see how they can solve it.

Source: Telegraaf (Dutch), h/t NRP (Dutch)