TransFair’s first country specific report deals with employment regulation, recruitment practices and working conditions of third country nationals in Polish road freight transport.
Third country nationals, mainly from Ukraine, have become key personnel in the Polish road transport industry and are a constitutive element of Polish hauliers’ competitive advantage in the EU, mainly due to the low labour costs. Recruitment often takes place via temporary agencies, drivers more often than not are faced with too low wages and found in insecure and vulnerable positions. As temporary workers holding permits (“statements”) to work 6 months within a 12 months period, they are more prone to agree to longer working hours without overtime payments and not taking the rest time they are entitled to.
To improve the living and working conditions of international transport drivers, including citizens from third countries, Polish trade unions have submitted several recommendations, such as a significant development of the social infrastructure along the transport routes ; changes in the drivers’ remuneration structure towards covering a larger part with obligatory social contributions and income taxes; recognising all types of cross-border haulage as being subject to the regulations on the posting of workers.
The whole report in English can be found here:
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TransFair receives funding from the European Commission, DG Employment, within the EU Programme for Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI)