According to the German trade union ver.di, ten Zimbabwean truck drivers have been on strike since last weekend—most in Germany, some in France, and one in Italy.
In Germany, truckers have parked their vehicles in rest areas near Krefeld, Nuremberg, Merklingen, and Bremen. The protesters are employed by the Slovak branch of the German company Hegelmann Group.
The drivers claim they have been forced to spend months sleeping in their vehicles and have not even received the minimum wage. Their employer allegedly paid them only €30 per day.
“Since the beginning of the protests, employers have attempted to intimidate the drivers, which even led to police intervention,” ver.di stated in a press release.
Appeal to politicians
In response to the growing number of truck driver protests against exploitative employers and degrading working conditions, the German trade union has called on politicians and businesses to take responsibility and ensure compliance with the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act.
“Politicians and companies must finally take responsibility and put an end to the blatant abuses in road freight transport. This also includes maintaining the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act in its current form,” said Andrea Kocsis, deputy chair of ver.di.
“Respect for human rights cannot be compromised under the pretext of reducing bureaucracy. The current political campaign to suspend the reporting obligation or even abolish this law gives the impression that saving on paperwork is more important than corporate responsibility towards employees,” Kocsis added, referring to political plans to limit the scope of the legislation.