The Belgian union Ubt-Fgtb has accused an institution controlled by the Belgian government of indirectly supporting social dumping practices in European road transport. At the centre of the controversy is a €74 million guarantee granted by Credendo (Belgian export credit agency) to the German banking consortium Aka Bank to finance the Lithuanian company Girteka.
According to the union, the guarantee allows the company to obtain favourable credit conditions for the purchase of around 1,200 new trucks. The union argues that the financing strengthens an operator that, in its view, has built its operating model over the years by relying on labour from third countries and practices that distort competition in the European transport market. The public guarantee would therefore enable Girteka to further expand its fleet and its presence in the European market.
According to the union, the case forms part of a broader dynamic concerning competition in European road transport and the application of cabotage rules. Ubt-Fgtb says some large Eastern European companies are able to expand rapidly by exploiting differences in labour costs and in the organisation of operational supply chains. In this context, the union adds, Belgian road haulage companies find themselves competing with operators that benefit from more favourable operating conditions.
The criticism focuses in particular on the use of drivers from non-European countries. At the beginning of 2023, Girteka reportedly opened new branches in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan with the aim of expanding recruitment of drivers from Central Asia and from other countries such as Turkmenistan. Frank Moreels, president of Ubt-Fgtb, openly criticised Credendo’s decision. “It is surprising that Credendo is acting as guarantor for a Lithuanian transport company that for years has organised social dumping across the European Union with low-cost drivers from third countries such as India, the Philippines, Congo, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan,” he said.
Tom Peeters, deputy federal secretary of Ubt-Fgtb for road transport and logistics, spoke of “double standards”. According to Peeters, Credendo says it applies thorough due diligence procedures for export credits, yet at the same time ends up supporting business models based on social dumping. The union is therefore calling for public support to be made conditional on compliance with European rules and on competition conditions considered fair within the transport sector.
P.R.
