up the stairs, down a flight of stairs. Microwaves, books, vacuum cleaner, Packed in cartons. Each year, more packages are to be extended. Particularly the employees of the hundreds of subcontractors, the drive for German industry giants such as DPD or Hermes, hauling daily packages for low pay. Minister of labour, Hubertus Heil (SPD) now wants to proceed with a law against the exploitation of mail carriers. With the so-called subcontractor liability large Customer for the working conditions at subcontractors should be held liable.
While the services Union ver.di salvation proposal supported and mafia-like structures in the package delivery industry, criticized, turned economy Minister, Peter Altmaier, against the thrust of the Minister of Labour: salvation suggestions passed on the issue, said the CDU politician. Wants to give now the CDU leader, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer. In the coalition Committee on September 14. May want to advise a compromise proposal. It is a total solution that, in addition to the healing elements proposed, a discharge of “ordinary employer”.
What’s going wrong in the industry? Five Figures, the insight into the market with packages
© Oliver Berg/dpa
give: About 17 percent of the package delivery company fell in controls due to inconsistencies
About 3,000 customs officers, the financial control black labour far subcontractors of package services verified at the beginning of February 2019 Germany. In the case of the RAID of 12,000 drivers have been controlled in 356 companies. The officials found more than 2,000 package carriers greater inconsistencies – about 17 percent of Controlled.
The customs objected to largely undercut the minimum wage, have also been initiated, according to the Directorate of customs, 74 criminal proceedings: The official drivers discovered without a license or with forged passports. On average, one third of employers pay in the area of parcel delivery and courier services to little pay, said a spokeswoman for the main customs office in Duisburg, Germany for the Handelsblatt.
According to the Federal Ministry of labour, the problems lie in the industry, especially in the “legal and professional ignorance of the subcontractors on the rights and duties of their workers”. The second main problem, pass fakes, black money payments and benefit fraud. Industry insiders confirm this view.
© Sebastian Matthew Downey United/dpa
least 427,000 people work according to the Federal employment Agency in the package industry
The parcel industry has grown strongly in recent years. Since 2008, the number of deliverers grew by 24 percent. At the time, about 344,000 people worked offered as a package. Just under half of the carrier’s conditions according to the employment Agency in a temporary job.
These Figures give an insight into the industry, a complete Overview hardly anyone has. Ver.di is a large number of providers appearing in any statistics, because they work in black, or in the case of micro-enterprises are engaged.
In December 2018, the German Hermes-Chef Olaf Schabirosky said: “The labour market is empty.” Because the German market is able to satisfy the great demand for mail carriers only hard work in the company for quite some time reinforced with workers from southern and Eastern Europe. According to ver.di, these are often not aware of their rights or do not ask out of fear.
The trade Union sees the working conditions in the industry, therefore, “often on the brink”. There is a real hourly wage of 4.50 euros or 6 euros would be paid, because the working hours were often at 12 or even 16 hours per day instead of the stipulated eight hours. The law Minister of labour, Mr Hubertus Heil was wise, therefore, says the Deputy.di-Chairman Andrea Koscsis. Even those who outsource work, must remain responsible.
© Daniel Karmann/dpa
49.2 percent low-wage – so less than 10 euros per hour
The proportion of Niedriglöhnern is in the package industry, more than twice as high as in the overall economy – almost 50 percent. Also, the average monthly wage is lower, he is 3.121 euros, about 25 percent in the overall economy. In this sum only the wages of the deliverer, however, are not included, but also those of the Directors and officers, the lifting of the cut. The Problem: New package offered mainly in the lower salary groups. Therefore, the median wage in the industry has fallen since 2007 to 15.4 percent, such as from a response by the Federal government to a Minor Interpellation of the left party.
“It is completely unacceptable,” said the Left-the Deputy Pascal Meiser, “that many of the letter carrier, and especially a package deliverer for your hard work, with low wages being fobbed off”. He sees the Situation of the industry is still gloomy, as it will give the statistics. The growing number of foreign subcontractors will not be officially recorded. “The Federal government must urgently against the dirt competition, the wages in this industry is getting more and more under pressure.”
The left party therefore supports the thrust of salvation: In the construction industry, the subcontractor of liability applicable since 2002 – so you’ve just had good experiences. Also, the CDU-Chairman Kramp-Karrenbauer pointed to the positive experiences with this Instrument in the meat industry.
© Christian Charisius/dpa
5 companies have hot the package market divided
DHL, DPD, UPS, GLS and Hermes. However, the number of contractors is growing rapidly, more and more small to emerge-enterprises. Their number is confusing. The Federal government is, to have no Overview.
However, the labour market of the package industry is divided into two parts: Some of the big five to use excessive sub-contractors, other almost not at all. For example, DHL and DPD to work predominantly with our own salaried mail carriers. In the case of the DHL, the are about 98 percent. You have subject to social insurance jobs and be paid in accordance with the Tariff.
The three other deliverer – Hermes, UPS and GLS work almost exclusively with sub-contractors. There the working conditions are often precarious. Also companies such as Zalando or Amazon deliver strengthened themselves, and engage subcontractors that supply Goods to the doorstep of the customer, without any of the large courier services is acting as an intermediary.
turmoil in the market is expected
According to Andreas Schumann from the German Federal Association of courier-Express-Postal services (BDKEP), the industry is also going through a radical change: “We have noticed that large companies such as Amazon are looking for a subcontractor and the intermediary function of the package is waning,” says Schumann.
He expects in the future to a more decentralised market landscape and draws the comparison to the energy industry: “there used to be some coal-fired power plants, today they have thousands of Solar – and wind-power plants.” It will also go to the major parcel services: they would be displaced or a market move, because your business is worth. Just the last mile to the customer is for the company is hardly profitable.
© Rickey Rogers/Reuters
3.5 billion packages, the deliverer, brought to 2018 in German households
The biggest challenge for the package industry seems to be their own growth. Annually, the number of packages sent out has risen by five per cent or more. By 2022, industry experts expect more than four billion packages annually.
The largest packet to carry yet offered the package. Self-Andreas Schumann from the industry Association BDKEP said: “The package deliverer to wear out your staff.” The interest of representatives of small and medium-sized package deliverer considers the proposal of Hubertus Heil, to take the General contractor more responsibility, therefore, “in the core sense”. For a similar big Problem, Schumann keeps the wild growth in the industry: “There is as yet no professional qualification. Everyone with a driver’s license and a business registration can start a courier service.” At this point, it was stronger.
