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The portal kauno.diena.lt was reached by a complaint from the Uzbek Sidikkhodja Aripkhodjaev regarding, according to him, the servile working and accommodation conditions at the Hegelmann Transport company. It sounded like a hotbed of coronavirus this week. The company qualifies the slanders as accusations, although the State Labor Inspectorate, after conducting an inspection of the company after the complaint, found violations.
Pouring resentment
“I worked for Hegelmann Transporte for nine months. This company is part of the Hegelmann Group,” said Aripkhodjaev.
He wrote a complaint in several languages, which he had previously sent to the Lithuanian police and other services.
The complaint alleges that there is very little rest for drivers on the trip. They have to drive almost non-stop, and they are forced to spend the night and cook in the cabins of the trucks.
The company is accused of not paying overnight stays in dormitories or other accommodation establishments for drivers traveling to EU countries.
During those nine months, despite various difficulties working as a tractor driver, I worked almost nonstop and resting, living in a tractor cab.
“During those nine months, despite various difficulties working as a tractor driver, I worked almost nonstop and resting, living in the tractor cab. […] Most of the Hegelmann Group drivers are citizens of Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Employers (Hegelmann Group) do not provide drivers with places in hotels or other resting places (such as dormitories). […], which constitutes a serious infringement of the labor legislation of the European Union. “The Hegelmann Group is forcing drivers to live in the cab of a truck,” said Uzbek.
Sidikkhodya Aripkhodjaev
The complaint also alleges that the Hegelmann Group gives drivers forged documents that allegedly rest in hotels (dorms) so that the company, according to the former employee, avoids inconvenience if the police ask drivers to show the necessary documents.
What Uzbek says is happening at the company can be called “mass fraud” and “slave labor.”
View from the bedroom
He not only sent a written complaint to the portal kauno.diena.lt, but also several videos, as he pointed out, from the bedroom of Hegelmann Transporte, located on Pramonės Street, where he also filmed.
Another video captures men lying down and resting on bunk beds. They are packed in small rooms. One of them is ready to accommodate up to eight men. “There are also eight people living in this,” the video shows when Uzbek, who turned to reporters, enters room 305. It also accommodates four bunks, but you can see the chair in the middle of the room. More furniture is unlikely to fit here. There is very little free space in it.
“This is how Hegelmann drivers live,” said the man who made the video. All of this is reportedly filmed on May 25 of this year.
Upon request, S. Aripkhodjaev also sent copies of the employment contract with the company and the visa.
The police are silent
The portal kauno.diena.lt contacted the Lithuanian police, but their representative did not confirm or deny that a complaint had been received, let alone answered the question if the complaint was confirmed, if it was received.
“I reiterate that we do not provide information about private persons or companies to third parties,” Ramūnas Matonis, head of the Communication Department of the Police Department, told the portal kauno.diena.lt.
Violations found
The representatives of the State Labor Inspectorate (VDI) did not swear like this. “According to the information mentioned, Head of the Territorial Division of VDI Kaunas. the labor inspector performed an unscheduled inspection, violations were found, “said Adas Baliukevičius, the chief labor inspector, head of the Kaunas branch of SLI.
The inspector performed an unscheduled inspection, violations were found.
According to him, the company complained about several different recipients, the information provided was very general. The video with the living conditions of the drivers did not reach the inspection and, therefore, was not examined.
“The investigation began on June 9 and ended on July 7. Thematic reports have been completed and a request has been sent to eliminate the violations, “said A. Baliukevičius on Thursday.
A. Baliukevičius mentioned that all the information on the inspection results had been sent to the Lithuanian Transport Security Administration. “Some issues are beyond our competence,” said a VDI representative, adding that the company’s position was that the complaints were defamatory.
VDI communication adviser Jurgita Kažukauskaitė-Sarnickienė presented new data on Friday. June 9 The VDI has launched an investigation into Hegelmann’s transport following a notice of public interest.
“A complaint from an Uzbek citizen about Hegelmann’s transportation was sent to SLI by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The complaint concerns working time and rest and accommodation conditions. The VDI inspection has been completed, the requirements for correct identified violations have been drafted.During the inspection, it was established that the company does not carry out regular inspections of the driving, work and rest regime of drivers to guarantee the requirements of the peculiarities of work and rest in road transport, as well like the provisions of the relevant regulations of the European Community ”, commented J. Kažukauskaitė-Sarnickienė.
She said data on the Hegelmann Group was not available to the VDI, “nor is it possible to verify the information on the 45-hour weekly rest provided to drivers and their conditions abroad.”
According to the data available to SLI, the Labor Disputes Commission has received three requests this year to investigate labor disputes with Hegelmann’s transportation regarding unpaid wages and other benefits, due to the illegal dismissal.
The Lithuanian Transport Security Administration was also interested
After receiving information from the SLI, the Lithuanian Transport Security Administration became interested in the activities of Hegelmann Transport.
Eglė Kučinskaitė, Chief of the Administration’s Communication and International Cooperation Division, stated that an attempt was made to explain the situation: questions were asked from the company, clarifications were requested.
The company does not comment.
Agnė Ambrazevičienė, representative of Hegelmann Transport and head of marketing for Hegelmann Group, sent a brief response to questions and a request to comment on the statements made in the complaint about the conditions of work and accommodation of drivers.
Photo by Justina Lasauskait
“We will not comment further on the situation as the relevant institutions have been contacted regarding the dissemination of misleading and incorrect information about the company,” said A. Ambrazevičienė.
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