The recruitment push in South America coincides with yet another public pay dispute involving the Lithuanian haulier in the Netherlands in recent weeks. On the one hand – plans for global workforce expansion. On the other – allegations of months-long wage arrears.
Gretvėja, a Lithuanian transport company headquartered in Šiauliai, held interviews with candidates for heavy-duty truck drivers in São Paulo during the first weekend of March. The aim is to hire 200 drivers from Brazil.
The event is organised by the M/Brazil agency, which specialises in international driver recruitment and staffing solutions in cross-border transport. Its founder, Marcelo Toledo, has been active in the market since 1990, focusing on sourcing drivers for work, among others, in Europe and the United States.
According to the recruitment organisers, Brazil is expected to be an answer to Europe’s structural driver shortage. They point to the experience of local drivers in long-haul transport, familiarity with heavy articulated vehicles, and a wide range of road and climate conditions.
“Differences in pay between Brazil and Europe create mobility opportunities that benefit both sides. European companies can attract qualified drivers, while Brazilian professionals gain the chance for higher earnings and career development,” the agency emphasises in its statement.
Protest in Maasvlakte
At the same time, in the Dutch port of Rotterdam, in the Maasvlakte area, for more than a week a vehicle combination belonging to Gretvėja has been standing still. Its driver, Parviz from Tajikistan, has halted the transport, citing a payments lack of full payments for several months.
According to the driver, the company owes him at least EUR 30,000. He claims that for the past seven months he has received only part of his pay, and that during two years of working in Europe he lived in the vehicle’s cab and did not see his family.
The dispute also concerns the settlement of working time and the benefits due. Calculations prepared jointly with the Dutch trade union FNV are said to indicate that the amount paid was lower than what was owed. The company denies the allegations, stressing that remuneration was paid in accordance with the contract and presenting its own documentation of working hours.
The driver invoked the right of retention, blocking the vehicle and the load until he receives the funds due. An attempt to tow the vehicle combination failed – the police recognised his right to remain in the vehicle. According to the driver, his contract has been terminated, and he has four weeks to leave the European Union.
Workforce expansion vs reputational risk
Gretvėja operates a fleet of around 750 tractor units and provides transport services, among others, for Dutch companies. Running a large-scale recruitment drive in South America while facing allegations of wage arrears puts the company in a challenging reputational situation.
From a market perspective, the move towards Brazil fits into a broader trend of searching for drivers beyond traditional recruitment markets. Companies are increasingly reaching for workers from third countries, arguing this is due to the scale of staffing shortages in Europe.
At the same time, recent driver protests in ports and car parks in the Netherlands show that a model based on cross-border employment of workers from distant regions of the world can be vulnerable to abuse. Differences in pay levels, an employee’s dependence on the employer in visa matters, and the dispersion of responsibility between countries create a space in which – in the absence of effective oversight – disputes over working conditions and settlements can easily arise.
The coming weeks will show whether the Brazilian recruitment brings Gretvėja the expected reinforcement of its fleet, and whether the dispute in Rotterdam ends in an agreement.
