MODERN DAY SLAVERY AT GLS
GLS, the parcels operator previously led by Rico Back was investigated by undercover reporter, Günter Wallraff. He found shocking conditions, low pay, insecure employment and all of this was exposed.
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Modern slavery” at parcel delivery GLS
Günter Wallraff worked and researched for his new show on RTL at parcel delivery company GLS undercover. Now he denounces “human misery”.
Revelation journalist Günter Wallraff once again under the wrong identity on the road – this time at Europe-wide parcel delivery GLS. After several months of research and undercover use for RTL and the time magazine, the 69-year-old writer denounces “Menschenschinderei mit System”.
Wallraff accompanied several drivers in the broadcast on RTL on Wednesday evening, got to know their daily work routine. With a hidden camera impressions from the management floor at GLS were also recorded during a fictional performance discussion.
I worked and researched at various locations – and found working conditions that ruined physically, nervously and financially,” said Wallraff. “There were often no breaks, at night there were only four or five hours sleep in. The accident risk is enormous.” And: “We were in dented carts and on snow and ice with summer tires on the way,” says the 69-year-old. “It’s a system that is a form of modern slavery in the middle of Germany.” Many thousands of people are affected, especially younger and male employees.
Made famous by researching the image
Since the seventies, Wallraff has been making headlines with his undercover research, for example as a picture reporter or as a Turkish guest worker Ali. His research on poor pay and lack of health and safety in a large bakery, which supplies a discounter, led to an ongoing lawsuit against the head of the company.
Even in the current case Wallraff uncovered unsparing. Drivers would be obliged to contract conditions that are too difficult to understand and, in many cases, only verbal contracts as subcontractors, without GLS pointing out the entrepreneurial and financial risks, Wallraff said in a preliminary interview on his new broadcast. “Many are totally exploited, fall into a debt trap – and GLS steals skillfully and completely out of responsibility.”
The unreasonable practices were done “with knowledge of the group and system”, the author emphasized. It is a form of bogus self-employment that would force people “who have no choice and who are just happy to get into work somehow.” The conditions are difficult to understand, including what about the risks of accident or illness.
GLS does not want to comment on the research
GSL wanted neither in the broadcast, as Wallraff at the end of his research revealed, nor after the broadcast at Stern TV to the research. Even shortly before the broadcast of the TV documentary, nobody at the GLS-Germany headquarters in Neuenstein and at the agency Stroomer PR in Hamburg named GLS Press Office could be reached for comment.
In response to a request from Zeit magazine, GLS simply replied: “When handling transport orders from GLS, hauliers are generally obliged to employ drivers in legally-compliant employment relationships subject to social security contributions.”
GLS number three in Germany
Based in Amsterdam, GLS (General Logistics Systems) claims to have a good 210,000 customers in Europe, of which around 40,000 are in Germany. According to the homepage, there are 57 depots nationwide for the parcel and express service, and 3850 delivery vehicles are in use. In terms of sales, GSL is number three in Germany behind DHL and UPS. drs, dpa
CWU Eastern No5 Branch 