(Update: Initial findings from customs authorities)
COLOGNE (dpa-AFX) - In a nationwide operation, more than 2,900 customs officers inspected parcel delivery services, identifying initial legal violations. The inspections at depots and distribution centers targeted undeclared work and illegal employment in the courier, express, and parcel (CEP) industry, according to the General Directorate of Customs. Officers from all main customs offices in Germany were deployed. The spot checks, conducted without prior suspicion, were expected to continue until the evening.
In an initial interim assessment, Jens Ahland, spokesperson for the Cologne main customs office, stated that the usual 'primary areas of complaint' had been clearly confirmed. As an example, he cited a 39-year-old Turkish national working for a subcontractor in Cologne despite lacking a work permit.
Particularly serious, he noted, was the ignorance displayed by many drivers employed by subcontractors. 'I was present during an interview where a Ukrainian driver could not say which company he worked for,' Ahland said. A managing director of the firm then intervened, saying, 'Yes, that is my driver; he has been working for me for a few weeks but does not yet know which company it is.'
Ahland reported on subcontracting chains where orders were passed from one subcontractor to the next. 'And at the very end, we have drivers who do not receive the minimum wage because their hours are not correctly recorded.' Some did not own their own vehicles and had to rent them from the contractor at high rates. Extensive data analysis is still pending. 'Many companies will be receiving another visit from us.'
Customs: Repeated violations of the statutory minimum wage
In the digital age, the parcel industry is growing rapidly as companies and consumers order more goods online. The sector has long complained of labor shortages. The practice of outsourcing parcel delivery to subcontractors is widespread. Market leader DHL does this sparingly. In contrast, competitors DPD, Hermes, GLS, and Amazon rely entirely or largely on subcontractors.
The parcel industry has long been a focus for customs authorities. However, monitoring this economic sector is difficult, as drivers are on the road for most of the day and are not present at the delivery base. Customs officers find it easier to conduct inspections on construction sites.
For years, customs has complained that drivers' working hours are not, or not fully, remunerated. Overtime or loading times are sometimes unpaid, repeatedly undermining the statutory minimum wage of 13.90 euros per hour. Furthermore, customs alleges that subcontractors are used to withhold or embezzle social security contributions and evade taxes.
Reactions from the parcel industry
An Amazon spokesperson stated that the company is ready to cooperate actively with the authorities. 'Our partners are obliged to comply with applicable laws and the Amazon Delivery Service Partner Code of Conduct.'
Amazon is committed to ensuring that delivery partners employ their staff in accordance with applicable law. 'We audit our partners regularly and take action if we find that a partner is not meeting our requirements.'
Hermes Germany stated that it welcomes the inspections and supports the work of customs 'fully.' GLS expressed a similar sentiment: 'Compliance with labor law, the minimum wage, and social and occupational safety standards is a matter of course for us and is non-negotiable.'
The industry association BPEX, of which DPD is also a member, asserted that its member companies investigate reports of specific grievances. 'Anyone who violates legal norms must expect the termination of their contractual relationship,' said BPEX Chairman Marten Bosselmann.
He defended the awarding of contracts to subcontractors. 'We see professional entrepreneurial structures as an essential prerequisite for the sustainable development of the parcel industry and for long-term successful services.' The Verdi trade union takes a very different view, calling for a fundamental ban on subcontractors in the parcel industry.
In the union's criticism of the parcel industry, market leader DHL fares relatively well. Unionists and politicians view it positively that the Bonn-based logistics giant uses relatively few subcontractors. However, DHL was not excluded from the inspections; customs officers also appeared at several of the logistics provider's locations. A company spokeswoman said that less than two percent of parcels transported by DHL were delivered by subcontractors.
Klingbeil: Protecting against exploitation and securing revenue
According to Federal Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil, the operation demonstrates a determined crackdown on illegal employment and exploitation. 'Our goal is to effectively protect people from exploitation and to secure the revenues of the state and social security,' the SPD politician emphasized. 'Anyone who enriches themselves at the expense of the general public must expect consequences.'
The courier, express, and parcel industry, according to Klingbeil, is a sector where one repeatedly hears that hard work is not fully remunerated. 'That is not only indecent, but illegal.' People are being deprived of their hard-earned wages, the minimum wage is being undermined, and honest entrepreneurs are left at a disadvantage./mhe/dot/wdw/DP/zb
