Camion Pro e.V. identifies massive violations of labor law

Statement from Camion Pro e.V.

In Germany, the precarious working conditions surrounding the sports venues for the football world championship are currently being criticized. Such a discussion is fundamentally necessary and correct; however, there should also be a national self-reflection before pointing fingers at other countries. Those who do so may quickly realize that the ethical-moral starting point in Germany is also quite shaky.

The professional association Camion Pro e.V. has identified massive violations of European and German labor and social law in the European freight forwarding industry in a study conducted in collaboration with the Vienna University of Economics and Business and the University of Brisbane (Australia). This study was presented at the symposium “Modern Slavery in the Transport Industry” in April by specialists from the Vienna University of Economics and Business, the University of Brisbane (Australia), and the professional association Camion Pro e.V. It was shown that even in Germany, foreigners from third countries are massively engaged in illegal working conditions, fulfilling even the criteria for human trafficking and organized crime.

50 percent of trips on German highways by Eastern Europeans

The affected group from non-EU countries such as Belarus, Ukraine, and other Eastern European and Asian countries is estimated by experts to be around 500,000 people who are also and especially in Germany driving their trucks for our prosperity. According to the toll statistics from Toll Collect/Federal Office for Goods Transport, almost 50 percent of truck trips on German highways are carried out by Eastern European companies, primarily from Poland and Lithuania, which are heavily involved in social dumping. Experts at the symposium in April, including EU parliamentarian Ismail Ertug, classified the conditions as modern slavery.

In light of these findings, Camion Pro board member Andreas Mossyrsch comments on the current discussion about working conditions in Qatar as follows:

In these illegal transports on German soil, loads from many well-known German companies, such as food corporations, furniture stores, and almost the entire automotive industry, are also being transported. These transports are organized, among others, by large German logistics companies like DHL and DB Schenker, which not only benefit from the exploitation of labor slaves on German soil by awarding their freight contracts to dubious forwarding companies in Poland and Lithuania but also belong to the key players in social dumping in the European transport industry. These conditions were uncovered, among others, by our professional association Camion Pro e.V., which has produced TV documentaries on this topic with various public broadcasters.

DHL and DB Schenker are not the only ones guilty of this; dozens of other large and medium-sized freight forwarders are also involved in the dirty business with drivers from third countries like Belarus. However, DHL (Deutsche Post) and DB Schenker (Deutsche Bahn) are companies in which the German state is involved. Similar accusations cannot be made against Qatar in connection with construction companies based there.

Even in combating social dumping – at least in the construction industry – the desert state, as recent press reports indicate, seems to be making progress and is apparently striving to comply with international labor standards. In this comparison, the Emirate appears to be ahead of Germany.

German customs seem to tolerate the circumstances

German authorities – led by German customs, which is responsible for ensuring compliance with standards such as the minimum wage – have been aware of these conditions of Eastern European truck drivers on German roads for years; however, little has been done so far. On the contrary: The latest study by Camion Pro e.V. shows that the working conditions of this group in Germany have even deteriorated qualitatively and quantitatively in recent years. The professional association Camion Pro e.V. was recently able to demonstrate the backlog that German authorities have in the fight against social dumping.

German customs, which is actually the spearhead in the fight against illegal employment, has apparently now begun to tolerate obviously illegal employment relationships of Eastern European workers.

Photo: © CamionPro