The House of Representatives has given the green light to amend the Act on Tackling Embezzlement (WAS). This means that chain liability for incorrect wages will soon also apply to transport and forwarding activities.
The WAS has been in force since 2015 and ensures that not only employers, but also clients, are held responsible for paying their employees the correct wages. It is therefore important for clients to only work with companies that pay fair wages. Until now, the Act has not applied to work carried out under a transport contract or a freight forwarding contract. This has been a thorn in the side of the transport sector, as it is precisely in this sector that exploitation is rife. From the start of next year, chain liability will also apply to these activities.
“From now on, all unscrupulous transport companies – and all unscrupulous clients – can be dealt with very firmly. This is an important step towards a fair labour market,” said Minister Lodewijk Asscher. “All drivers in the Netherlands must receive what they deserve.”
PayChecked in Transport quality mark
As the WAS does not apply to the transport sector, Transport and Logistics Netherlands (TLN) and EVO previously introduced the ‘PayChecked in Transport’ quality mark. This quality mark demonstrates that companies pay fair wages and do so on time. “The ‘PayChecked in Transport’ quality mark ensures that clients can see at a glance that hauliers have their wage payments in order. This eliminates the need for checks. Clients and hauliers can do business quickly and easily,” the organisations stated at the launch. Companies with the quality mark also meet the requirements set by the WAS.
Editorial LogistiekProfs
