![]() The Hesse IG Metall and Verdi union officials are feigning “solidarity” with the striking truckers and are organizing material and medical support together with the churches. They can only wage their struggle by mobilizing other drivers and workers in their defence. The drivers can rely neither on the German police nor the unions. However, this shows how explosive the conflict can become and how urgent its expansion is. When the strikers made clear their determination to prevent the release of the goods, the action was called off again, for the time being. The freight forwarder LOG contacted the South Hesse police about the matter and announced a reloading action on Friday, April 21, at 2:00 p.m. Italian truckers have recorded a video to support their striking colleagues in Gräfenhausen.īut disputes continue to occur, such as last week when the General Electric company threatened to have its cargo, which was in one of the trucks, picked up by police. “It’s like modern human trafficking,” Atema said.Įvery day, supporters and travellers arrive at the truck stop, bring cakes or other food, give cigarettes to the strikers. Weirich, who speaks Russian, regularly assists on site with negotiations over the phone (while journalists and visitors usually use different translation tools to communicate with the strikers).Įdwin Atema of the Dutch trade union FNV, who is leading the negotiations for the truck drivers, has also confirmed that the drivers have not received any papers, accounts or documents. Speaking for the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) Fair Mobility Consulting Network, Anna Weirich confirmed the carrier has not only withheld a lot of money from the drivers, but also the usual contractual documents. So far, he is said to have transferred a total of €200,000 for drivers in the 65-strong group, but €97,858 are still missing. When this failed, he agreed to transfer payments to individual drivers, but not in full and not for all of them. On Easter Friday, Mazur had initially tried, without success, to break the strike by force and to move the trucks away from the service area using replacement drivers. When questioned by broadcaster ZDF, the Polish entrepreneur said he had fulfilled his contractual obligations and there would be no more money from him. The strikers gave Mazur a deadline of noon last Friday to pay the outstanding wages. Instead, I’ve been living in four square meters in my driver’s cab for months, far away from my family.” ![]() The drivers are demanding not only their outstanding wages, but fair pay overall and decent working conditions.įor example, one young driver who recently joined the strike reported on Friday (showing his bank statements to journalists) that he has been on Europe’s roads since November and has so far received a total of only €1,000 (US$1,097) in wages-for five months’ work! Another explained, “Theoretically, after five days on the road, I’m allowed to take a two-day break-and shower and sleep in a hotel. They carry goods across Europe on behalf of major corporations such as Volkswagen, Ikea, General Electric, DHL. For five and a half weeks now, they have been on strike against Polish freight owner Łukasz Mazur, who operates the Agmaz, Lukmaz and Imperia transport chains. ![]() The truckers come from Georgia, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Their strike is an example of fighting determination, but it needs an independent perspective and the active support of workers in Germany and throughout Europe. They are demanding full payment of their wages, which have been withheld from them for months. Since March 20, around 65 truck drivers have been on strike at the A5 service area Gräfenhausen in the central German state of Hesse. ![]() Striking truck drivers at the Gräfenhausen-West freeway service area. ![]()
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