For three weeks, more than 50 truck drivers from Poland and Uzbekistan have been on strike at the Gräfenhausen highway service station near Darmstadt. The reason for the wildcat strike are unpaid wages of up to 4000 euros for more than 50 days. The truck drivers are employed by the Polish Mazur group, a company hires the truck drivers with pseudo self-employed contracts and organizes their trips for large European companies and freight distributors such as Ikea and Siemens.
In response to the workers' wildcat strike, the Mazur group organized a major attack on the strikers on Friday. It hired the in Poland, well-known “detective group” “Detektei Rutkowski", a mixture of an espionage and mercenary company, which has attracted attention among other things for kidnappings in foreign countries, with the aim to break the strikes with intimidation and violence.. In addition, Mazur organized four minibuses with replacement drivers for the trucks, who, however, found out on the scene that they were to be used as strikebreakers and then also refused to work.
This mercenary gang itself approached the Gräfenhausen rest area in armored vehicles, bulletproof vests and paramilitary uniforms, armed with knives, pepper spray and teeth guards. There, they attacked the striking truck drivers and used violence to try to retake the trucks confiscated from the striking drivers. However, the striking truck drivers were not intimidated by this martial action and collectively fought back this attack and defended their trucks. During the attack of the paramilitary thugs, the right-wing Polish broadcaster "Patriot24" was also present. This is also said to belong to Krzysztof Rutkowski, the owner of the private detective agency and former Member of the European Parliament.
In the aftermath of the events, the German police intervened and temporarily arrest 19 suspects of the “detective company” along with the owner of the company. Meanwhile, a broad solidarity with the Wild Strike has developed. Progressive and revolutionary groups from the area visited the strikers and expressed their support. Also, an initiative of the DGB is on the ground. Rutkowski, meanwhile, announced further actions and declared on Instagram that he was confident of breaking the strike.
Meanwhile, the striking truck drivers continue to organize and have also announced to continue and defend the strike until the wages are received and not to return the trucks until then.
