Europe’s trucking industry relies on migrant drivers from Eastern Europe and beyond who live in their cabs for months, facing wage theft, forced overtime and debt bondage.
In their recent article published in The Contrapuntal, ISS Assistant Professor Nanneke Winters and ISS alumnus, Wouter van de Klippe describe the working conditions of Europe's truckers who, despite EU labour protections, regularly face exploitation and isolation.
Through interviews with truckers they show that subcontractors routinely violate working-hour limits and underpay drivers far below minimum wage.
They argue that while due diligence laws targeting supply-chain accountability show promise, conservative lawmakers are now dismantling these protections under claims of reducing regulation.
Read the full article online - 'Migrant Truckers Who Keep Europe Moving', The Contrapuntal, 14 October 2025.
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The Contrapuntal is an independent non-profit publication devoted to delivering rigorously researched, accessible, and factually accurate journalism from a ground-up perspective. It recently won the public prize for an independent publication during the Haagse Media Awards.