Inspectors have found eight truck drivers in a parking lot in Geleen who they say have been staying there for two months. They live in appalling conditions in their cabin, the Social Affairs and Employment Inspectorate (SZW) and the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) announced on Wednesday.
The drivers work for a company from Lithuania. They say that when they finish work, they sleep in their car in the parking lot. There are no facilities such as electricity, showers or toilets there.
The men are paid 65 euros per day, regardless of the number of hours they work. Their statements show that they are busy loading and unloading in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, on behalf of a furniture company.
The inspection is part of an international action in the border regions of the Netherlands and Belgium, following reports of abuses. If these are demonstrated, the employer can expect a fine and be forced to make a supplementary payment to the drivers.
According to the Inspectorate SZW, the investigation may take “some time”. The municipality of Sittard-Geleen has been informed.
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