EU takes action over irregularities against cruise ship workers

Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Portugal inspected river cruise ships and freight carriers in September coordinated and supported by the European Labour Authority and the waterborne law-enforcement network AQUAPOL. 78 ships and 82 companies were checked. Over 330 employees were interviewed. Breaches of minimum wage rules, expired visas or long working hours were discovered. Legal proceedings in at least 100 cases were initiated.

Almost 200 enforcement officers from Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Portugal inspected river cruise ships and freight carriers in September. The inspections were coordinated and supported by the European Labour Authority (ELA) and the waterborne law-enforcement network AQUAPOL.

78 ships and 82 companies were checked. More than 330 employees were interviewed. The suspected offenses include undeclared work, which means that workers lacked social protection; illegal employment, as migrant workers were employed without the necessary working permit or visa in the EU. The inspectors also discovered breaches of minimum wage rules; too long working hours due to incorrect working and resting time registrations; and other labour law and nautical offenses. Legal proceedings have been initiated, and at least 100 of these instances require further investigation by the authorities of the involved Member States.

In this joint cross-border action, police, labour, customs, transport and social security authorities simultaneously inspected river cruise ships on European waterways: Danube, Datteln-Hamm Canal, Douro, Dortmund-Ems Canal, Main, Merwede, Elbe Lateral Canal, Mittelland-Canal, Rhine, and waterways in the Antwerp, Amsterdam and Liège regions. ELA enabled officers and inspectors to deploy to other participating countries to support the joint cross-border controls.

During the inspection of working conditions on ships in the Netherlands, enforcement officers discovered signs of exploitation of workers. The Dutch enforcement authorities – the National Police, the Rotterdam Seaport Police, the Netherlands Labour Authority and the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate – were joined by labour inspectors from Belgium and Germany. They checked 55 people working as nautical, hotel and catering staff on board the ships. A total of ten employees were found working illegally and had to stop their work immediately. For a number of ships, this meant that they could not continue sailing until other qualified personnel arrive. Two companies and one employment agency are being investigated for possible violations of the Dutch Minimum Wage, Minimum Holiday Allowance and the Working Hours Act.

The aim of these inspections was to tackle serious labour and nautical offenses and to protect the ships’ personnel from labour violations and exploitation, such as poor working and living conditions, undeclared work, underpayments and longer working hours than permitted. Such breaches also affect the safety on board and could jeopardise the passenger and boat safety on European rivers and canals.

More information: European Labour Authority