The FNV trade union federation is taking legal action against transport company Vos for unfair competition and for exploiting its Romanian and Lithuanian drivers, the NRC said at the weekend.

The union wants Vos to pay its foreign drivers back pay and compensation, arguing they should fall under the Dutch pay and conditions deal. In addition, a number of drivers say they are being pressured into breaking the rules on rest periods, the paper says.

Vos pays its foreign drivers via a Romanian subsidiary Vosescu, which, the union claims, is effectively run from the Netherlands. The Romanian drivers drive lorries from the Netherlands throughout western Europe and rarely visit Romania, the union says.

In addition, research by the NRC shows the address where Vosescu is based is a run-down business park.

The paper has also seen wage slips for the Romanian drivers showing they have a gross salary of €220 but that this is topped up with ‘expenses’ to around €1,600 or €1,700 a month take home.

The FNV says the government is sending out the wrong signals after the tax office  recented signing a covenant with Vos.