German logistics firms warn of consequences of compulsory vaccination

Frankfurt (dpa) – The transport sector in Germany has warned against a hasty introduction of compulsory vaccination, amid calls for such a move from German political leaders.

A vaccine obligation could lead to thousands of drivers being refused entry to Germany because they have been given vaccines such as Sputnik V, which is not approved for use in the European Union, said Frank Huster, managing director of the German Association of Freight Forwarders and Logistics (DSLV).

Due to the acute shortage of drivers, freight space is already scarce, he said.

“Before making vaccination compulsory, we have to clarify some issues in advance,” he said.

This includes, for example, whether unvaccinated drivers from abroad could be offered vaccination in Germany. The industry is currently in talks with the ministries responsible, he said.

“We have not decided against compulsory vaccination,” Huster told dpa. “But there is great concern that we will lose more staff.”

According to the Federal Association of Road Haulage, Logistics and Waste Disposal (BGL), Germany has a shortage of 60,000 to 80,000 truck drivers, with the gap growing by 15,000 a year.

Not enough staff can be recruited from the eastern EU states, where there is also a shortage of tens of thousands of drivers, said board spokesman Dirk Engelhardt.

Many drivers opt for better paid jobs in industry, where it is easier to combine work and family life than in long-distance haulage.

The BGL is nevertheless in favour of compulsory vaccination in Germany.

The transport and logistics industry had previously warned of delivery problems when national rules were introduced that meant workers could only access to workplaces if they were vaccinated, recovered from Covid-19 or tested negative for the coronavirus.

The associations feared that truck drivers, especially from abroad, would no longer be able to access the factory premises of the logistics centres.

On this point, however, the situation had eased, said Huster. An interpretation of the rules had been agreed upon with the government according to which a non-contact transfer of goods does not require vaccine checks.

According to a survey conducted by the BGL about 28 per cent of the drivers have not been vaccinated or have received Russia’s Sputnik V in their Eastern European home countries.

An additional problem for drivers during the pandemic is the mobile nature of their work, Engelhardt told dpa.

“Some drivers go to five or six [loading and unloading] stations a day and encounter changing regulations,” he pointed out.