Blackwork work in the construction industry: Customs controls 260 workers in Saxony

Blackwork work in the construction industry: Customs controls 260 workers in Saxony

Dresden, Deutschland - The financial control of the undeclared work of the Dresden main customs office carried out a comprehensive examination in the construction industry on June 16, 2025, which was nationwide and risk -oriented. In this campaign, over 100 customs officers were deployed, which checked a total of eight construction sites in Dresden, Leipzig as well as East and northern Saxony. They met more than 260 employees of 60 different companies. In 65 cases, the investigators found suspicions that will have a further examination, including minimum wage violations and illegal foreigners. Heike Wilsdorf, press spokeswoman for financial control, explained that the main construction and secondary business in particular often come into focus of the investigation because they are particularly affected by undeclared work. Employers have to comply with employers, whether based at home or abroad, the German minimum wage regulations. The minimum wage is currently 12.82 euros gross per hour, which has been in place since January 1, 2025, so far it was 9.35 euros.

The problem of undeclared work is not a new topic in Germany. According to the Federal Ministry of Finance, damage caused by undeclared work of around 766 million euros were found in 2024. Almost 97,000 investigations were initiated for around 25,000 employer exams. A total of 1,277 years were imposed. It can be clearly seen that undeclared work and illegal employment affect almost all economic sectors, but in particular wage -intensive industries. The Black Working Act (SchwarzarbG) forms the legal basis for combating undeclared work and was reformed in 2019 to expand the examination powers of financial control.

background and developments

Since the introduction of a nationwide minimum wage in Germany on January 1, 2015, the public discussion has often put the effects of this measure on employment and wages. The minimum wage was gradually increased from 8.50 euros to 9.35 euros. However, recent studies show that there is only a few reliable information on the connection between minimum wages, undeclared work and illegal employment. An investigation that analyzed various wage -intensive industries, including the hospitality and the meat industry, showed that the structural features of the respective industry and the motivations of those involved are more important than the minimum wage itself.

undeclared work remains a multi -layered topic. While financial control continues to endeavor to enforce the regulations, organized undeclared work is active across Europe. The combat of such forms of illegal employment proves to be challenging, especially due to chain fraud, which uses complex criminal structures to finance black wage payments and corruption. It is all the more important that employees and employers take the applicable provisions seriously and comply.

The current exams once more confirm how crucial it is to ensure fair working conditions and to protect the rights of all employees. This is the only way to ensure that the job market remains transparent and fair for everyone involved.