Truck drivers in the crossfire: fight against unsustainable working conditions!
Truck drivers in the crossfire: fight against unsustainable working conditions!
In the past few weeks, a truck driver from Bielefeld has attracted the attention of the media. Jan Labrenz, who regularly commutes from Bielefeld to Dillingen on the Danube, brought up the unsightly sides of his profession in the ARD show "Hart but fair". "There is something"-so you could summarize your message, because he criticized the catastrophic working conditions of truck drivers, which urgently need to be reformed. The employment relationships are not only unreasonable, but also dangerous, which impressively described Labrenz.
During his appearance, Labrenz looked at the financial burdens that many drivers have to wear. Toilet courses and showers at rest areas are often subject to a fee, and the quality of the sanitary facilities often leaves something to be desired. "Tank & Rast" checks about 90% of the market for motorway service areas in Germany and reported a whopping 650 million euros in sales before the pandemic, while the conditions for the drivers remain bad. One of the suggested problems is the Sanifair toilets-one euro fees per use, which are returned by brands, but cannot be used for all purchases.The lack of driver: alarming numbers
The situation for professional drivers is tense. According to a public hearing of the traffic committee, which took place in Berlin on December 12, 2022, around 100,000 truck drivers in Germany are currently missing, and even a supply collapse will be feared in two to three years if the conditions do not improve. A fact that not only affects the transport and logistics industry, but could also affect the entire economy. Improving working conditions is urgently necessary to win more people for this profession.
In numerous reports, drivers such as Andreas Kernke and Mark Schneider shared their worries. They draw a picture of how their concerns are often ignored and they are "on the edge of society". They are often forced to violate statutory rest periods due to a lack of parking space. These unsustainable conditions mean that many drivers have to park their vehicles in parking bans.
demands for more recognition
The demands for improvement are loud. Whether more parking and resting places, clean sanitary facilities or greater control of existing laws- many aspects have to be tackled. Ronny Keller from ver.di describes the working conditions as "hardly decent" and calls for adequate remuneration for loading and unloading activities. This shows that the work of the truck drivers goes far beyond driving-many drivers are also used for administrative tasks and logistics projects. Berthold Richter from Halsped adds that the emotional and physical load, which is located on drivers, must also be recognized.
A ray of hope could be the "Brummi-Card" mentioned by Labrenz, which allows drivers to use toilets and showers free of charge at certain rest areas. However, membership in the BGL, which is necessary to use these advantages, is subject to a fee - another obstacle for many in the industry.
The challenges for professional drivers are varied, and despite all the obstacles, many like Labrenz find this profession as a passion. "Truck driving is my destiny," he says and illustrates the essential role of the drivers for the care of the country.
politics has recognized the need to strive for improvements, but it remains to be seen how quickly concrete steps will be implemented. The concerns of the truck drivers are loud and clear-it takes change so that the job does not fall behind and more people find a good knack for this work again.
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| Ort | Dillingen an der Donau, Deutschland |
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