The senate has rejected watered-down legislation aimed at reducing discrimination in the jobs market, despite the government making changes in a bid to win acceptance in the upper house.
The legislation would have applied to all companies with at least 50 employees after social affairs ministry Karien van Gennip increased the number from 25 and introduced a transition period.
Three of the four parties in talks on forming a new goverment β BBB, VVD and PVV β voted against the bill, as did the far right JA21 and FvD, 50Plus and the fundamentalist Protestant SGP.
Van Gennip said on social media the senate vote was βextremely painfulβ. βIn the hunt for a job, everyone should have the same opportunities,β she said.
The bill required employers and recruitment agencies that fall under the legislation to set down how they work to prevent discrimination when considering job applications and treat every applicant objectively.
In practice this would have meant neutral language in job adverts and a similar line of questioning for each candidate.
The new legislation would have applied to just 4% of Dutch employers but would have covered almost 70% of jobs.