Approximately 100 construction sites, more than 380 employers, and over 1.000 employees were inspected. Numerous violations of labor, social security, trade, and commercial regulations were discovered. (Photo: © General Customs Directorate / Zoll.de)
Read aloud:
July 2026
In the fight against undeclared work, North Rhine-Westphalia focused on the construction industry during this year's action days. Around 100 construction sites, more than 380 employers, and over 1.000 employees were inspected.
The North Rhine-Westphalia state government is continuing its fight against undeclared work. During this year's action days against undeclared work and illegal employment, from June 22nd to 26th, the Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of Economic Affairs focused on the construction industry. Approximately 100 construction sites, more than 380 employers, and over 1.000 employees were inspected. Numerous violations of labor, social security, trade, and commercial regulations were discovered.
The occupational safety and health authorities criticized, above all, serious safety deficiencies such as a lack of fall protection and inadequate scaffolding. Almost nine out of ten inspected companies did not fully comply with occupational safety regulations. The authorities documented 798 deficiencies. In one case, a construction site was shut down. The customs office's financial control unit for undeclared work examined proper social security registration, the unauthorized receipt of social benefits, and the validity of work permits and residence permits.
Criminal proceedings were initiated in 77 cases, including on suspicion of withholding social security contributions or illegal residence. In addition, administrative offense proceedings were opened in 154 cases, for example, on suspicion of unauthorized employment of foreigners or violations of registration requirements. According to the state government, over three hundred cases required further investigation, such as those concerning violations of the minimum wage, withholding social security contributions, welfare fraud, and immigration law infringements.
During their inspections, local authorities also identified approximately 120 indications of potential violations of the Trade and Crafts Code. These included practicing a craft requiring a license without the corresponding registration, missing business registrations or itinerant trader permits, and failure to report cross-border services provided by foreign tradespeople. Since 2018, the state government and the General Directorate of Customs have established a joint approach to combating undeclared work, which focuses on different sectors on a rotating basis.
Operations management
Operations management
Craft policy
"Construction workers perform hard physical labor every day. Safety deficiencies on construction sites are life-threatening and can lead to serious accidents. That's why it's crucial to pay particular attention to this," says Labor Minister Karl-Josef Laumann (CDU). Economics Minister Mona Neubaur (Greens) adds: "We mustn't downplay undeclared work and illegal employment. They harm the many honest companies that train apprentices, invest, and drive North Rhine-Westphalia forward. Only with a strong skilled trades sector can we meet the challenges of the future, build in a climate-friendly way, renovate energy-efficiently, and install modern heating and cooling systems. This requires fair competitive conditions."
DHB now also available digitally! Simply click here and register for the digital German Crafts Journal (DHB)!
Newsletter
Write a comment