In a statement, Belgian union CSC-Transcom Liège-Verviers described the case, which was uncovered by police officers during routine checks, as “modern slavery”. The trade union has also taken aim at “social dumping and the inhumane conditions that result from it”.
The disturbing yet all-too-familiar story was witnessed by police officers on Monday while conducting checks in Battice, a town located between Liege and the German border.
According to multiple reports in the Belgian press, officers found a Ukrainian lorry driver employed by a Polish subcontractor of Hegelmann. Photos used by the press also show the truck that was stopped by police was hauling a Hegelmann trailer.
It turned out the truck driver had been staying in his truck for 17 weeks, sleeping motorway rest areas. In addition, he had received no salary for 4 months and had to scrape by via the use a company top up card with a few-dozen euros of credit on it.
Reacting to the news, Ludo Moussebois, regional secretary of the CSC-Transcom Liège-Verviers trade union, said:
“It is pure and simple modern slavery. How is it possible, in the 21st century, that such exploitation can still exist and, and even more so, in Europe where labour and road transport regulations are very strict? The worker did not receive any salary – he received from time to time 45 euros on the company card, forcing him to have to beg to eat.”
Moussebois added that it was clear the conditions of the mobility package had been broken by the companies involved in this troubling case.
After discovering the case, the trade union helped the Ukrainian driver to recuperate and also organised a return journey to his home country. The union also stresses that it shall continue to raise awareness of social dumping practices.
In addition to all the aforementioned road transport violations, the driver’s employer failed to pay Belgian road taxes and its truck had defective seatbelts. As a result, the vehicle was seized by the Battice police.
UPDATE 31/12/2021: Hegelmann have now issued a statement regarding this matter
Photo: LeeKeon, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
