The pass is missing from act of nothing on the ships, the Basel-based shipping company Viking River Cruises cruise on the Rhine, Danube or Elbe. In their brochures the world advertises largest provider of river cruises, which was involved two weeks ago in the fatal accident in Budapest, with luxurious suites, a selection of Restaurants, Bar and Lounges in elegant Design, lavish meals, spacious sun decks and energy-efficient hybrid engines, which resulted in a “remarkably quiet ride” ends.

What you do not know the passengers: The employee, the concerns for their Welfare, for their work, extremely low wages. For example, a former sailor, the Hungarian Balázs Horvath*, has worked from 2012 until 2018 on Viking-ships on the Rhine and the Danube. He says: “In the first three years, I received per month 2200 Swiss francs gross. But 450 francs for Board and lodging were deducted.” After all, If he had to fly from Budapest to Amsterdam, Rotterdam or Basel, paid him costs the company the flight.

But in 2015, there were drastic Changes: On the same day that the Swiss national Bank lifted the Euro minimum exchange rate, informed Viking their employees, that the salaries for captains, skippers and Sailors would henceforth be paid in euros. For the employee a loss of pay meant. Horvath about received a new 1954 euros gross, minus 409 Euro for food and Live on Board. The travel costs to the place of work have not been paid by the company.

Only if you live in Eastern Europe, can. of the work

Viking life, with such low wages beşiktaş escort alone, but they are ships on the river cruise there The Daniel book müller, President of the Swiss industry Association, IG river cruise is confirmed. He says: “For shipping companies, regardless of whether they have, for example, the headquarters in the Netherlands, Switzerland or Austria, for example, is staff of the German minimum wage as a measure.” This, however, is voluntary. Lower wages are possible. The German minimum wage is currently 9,19 euros per hour gross, i.e. before deduction of compulsory social insurance. With a working day of eight hours, such as Viking in their contracts has been set, this means a monthly gross salary of 1470 Euro.

Viking pay more, asserts a spokesperson of the company. The net wage of an unskilled assistant spent at minimum 1700 euros, “what is in the countries of origin of the employees a very good wage”. In addition, each employee will be paid the health insurance. But the point is, as Horvath puts pay slips of several years, which shows that he received a significantly lower salary: 1400 euros, 1500 euros gross.

1000 Euro money drinking on a monthly basis

only employees, the costs originate from countries with low life can. That’s why virtually no West are to be found on the ships of Europeans (maybe with the exception of the captains, who receive, according to an industry representative Daniel buchmüller 3500 Euro net), but predominantly Eastern Europeans. Horvath about living in the South of Hungary, about forty kilometers from the Serbian border. He brought the wages, the Viking paid, his family.

it is Possible, however, that was only because the passengers exuberant drinking pay money to be divided at the end of the journey to all employees. Viking recommends to its US guests, which are the largest passenger group, a $ 15 tip per guest and day. According to Horvath, he received the one-week cruise from Basel to Amsterdam like all the other Seamen and hotel staff in the section a tip of 250 Euro a month for a full-time employee 1000 Euro in addition to the wage.

company keeps a portion of gratuities a

But the past is the past, because Viking doesn’t pay since the beginning of this year, the employees, the gratuities in cash. According to Horvath, the employees see nothing. The company will keep the tips for themselves. According to the St. Gallen’s labour law Professor Thomas Geiser that is not legally permitted. “The customer determines this affection for the staff and not for the employer. This keeps the money, to be used for this purpose, and the customer is deceived.”

Viking denies that she ends up with the gratuities, confirmed, however, that you will be paid this as part of their remuneration. “We have agreed in the employee contract that gratuities are part of the gross salary,” says the spokesman. “All gratuities be used to Finance the salary of our Crew increases used.” How much the wages were increased, he says, however.

Due to its indication that Viking pays a net wage of 1700 euros, is excluded, the employees, the loss of gratuities of 1000 euros to be fully paid for through the wage. Piet Dörflinger, Secretary of the trade Union, Nautilus International, confirmed on the basis of discussions with three Viking employees that you have a large will not be paid out part of the gratuities for this year.

representations confirmed

Extremely low wages, such as in the case of Viking are also other Swiss companies, says Dörflinger. “Viking is even more likely to be “Better”.” The Hotel and housekeeping staff on Board the vessels of other river cruise companies would usually net wages of between 800 and 1200 Euro. “The wages are exploitative. Therefore, it is always recruited further to the East.” How much salary are the two largest Swiss river cruise operators Twerenbold and medium-Thurgau pay their employees, remains their secret. The spokesman for both companies says: “We communicate, the wages of our employees in all our endeavors.”

The low wages are one thing, the excessive hours of work for the other. A week ago, the Sunday newspaper reported serious allegations of a Sailor, the reported working hours of up to 16 hours per day and the violation of the statutory rest provisions. Balázs Horvath confirmed this representation to the full extent. “The rest periods were never observed. Often, we had four hours of sleep.”

* Name known to the editors

This Text is from the current issue. Now all of the articles in the E-Paper of the Sunday newspaper, read: App for iOS App for Android – Web-App (Sunday newspaper)

Created: 15.06.2019, 20:02 PM