The customs has uncovered in the past year, more violations of the minimum wage law, as well as more cases of undeclared work and illegal employment. In the minimum wage, the number of 1.316 cases in the year 2015 was increased to 6.220 in the year 2018, informed the Federal Ministry of Finance. In 2.744 cases, the minimum wage under the steps had been, which is currently 9,19 euros per hour. 2015, the year in which the minimum wage was introduced, there have 705 proceedings for “Non-provision of the statutory minimum wage”.

among other violations of the minimum wage law, the lack of documentation of working time by the employer or a resistance to controls by the customs officials, a Ministry spokesman of the TIME said ONLINE. Violations were observed especially in the construction and cleaning industry. The increase of the procedure can be explained by the increased controls and the increase in the minimum wage to other sectors.

“In the vast majority of cases he acts,” said Federal Finance Minister Olaf Scholz (SPD) to the minimum wage. The of submitted to him by the Cabinet of Ministers has adopted the law against illegal employment will reveal many new cases. There are additional control provides for the rights and the staffing of the special unit at customs.

Scholz showed up at the presentation of the annual statistics of the customs (PDF) open to the claim of the trade unions, businesses for minimum wage violations of public contracts to exclude. “As you see me to be quite open-minded,” he said. “Most of the statutory provisions.”

the prison sentences of a total of 1,700 years because of the black work

The method due to undershoot of the minimum wage, only a fraction, however, part of the duty. The special unit for financial control of undeclared work reviewed the balance sheet, in the past year, more than 53,000 employers and completed some 108,000 criminal cases successfully. “The courts imposed in sensitive penalties. Alone in 2018 were imposed on the basis of investigations by the financial control total of a term of imprisonment of more than 1,700 years”, – stated in the message of the Ministry. In the past two years the customs in the area of illegal employment, undeclared work and social benefits have amounted to damages of approximately EUR 1.8 billion uncovered. “The number of unreported cases is likely to be considerably higher,” it says.

demanded of The German Confederation of trade unions had stricter penalties for breaches of the minimum wage. “Employers who do not adhere to the rules, should in future receive no public orders anymore,” said DGB Board member Stefan Körzell of the Funke media group.

Except for the black work of the customs and product piracy and drug smuggling. The customs seized last year, the balance sheet, according to which counterfeit Goods worth nearly 200 million euros. The majority of the seized Goods came from China and Hong Kong. The most frequently apparel, shoes, handbags, sun would fake glasses and jewelry. In addition, in 2018, more than three tons of cocaine have been withdrawn from the market – as well as almost nine tons of other drug types.