Our employees have a significant influence on the success of our company. Their experience and enthusiasm for logistics help BLG LOGISTICS keep moving at all times. It goes without saying that we value all employees equally and do not discriminate against anyone. Transparent and competitive wages based on collective bargaining constitute an important aspect of fair working conditions for us.
In addition to our own employees, we also consider the people involved in our supply chains who are closely associated with our services.
Fair working conditions and respect for human rights form the solid foundations of our entrepreneurial actions and thus also influence our supplier partnerships.
Clear structures for labor and human rights
BLG LOGISTICS has a Human Rights Officer appointed by the Board of Management, who is also Head of the Sustainability department. They act as a point of contact for staff and suppliers regarding human rights risks and violations and liaise with the Board of Management. Their duties include continually optimizing preventative measures and remedies to minimize risks and prevent violations, and regular and ad-hoc reporting to the Board of Management on human rights-related issues. In order to fulfill human rights due diligence, the Human Rights Officer works closely with other departments concerned. In the reporting year, two Human Rights Coordinators were assigned to help establish the management system in the largest subsidiaries. A detailed description of our approach can be found in the Sustainability Management section.
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|
Germany |
|
USA |
|
South Africa |
|
Poland |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
8,888 employees |
|
203 employees |
|
655 employees |
|
61 employees |
||||||||||||||||
|
|
Total |
|
of whom male |
|
of whom female |
|
Total |
|
of whom male |
|
of whom female |
|
Total |
|
of whom male |
|
of whom female |
|
Total |
|
of whom male |
|
of whom female |
Employment contract |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
permanent |
|
91.7 |
|
73.0 |
|
27.0 |
|
99.5 |
|
63.9 |
|
36.1 |
|
91.0 |
|
79.9 |
|
20.1 |
|
85.2 |
|
63.5 |
|
36.5 |
temporary |
|
8.3 |
|
76.1 |
|
23.9 |
|
0.5 |
|
100.0 |
|
0.0 |
|
9.0 |
|
49.2 |
|
50.8 |
|
14.8 |
|
77.8 |
|
22.2 |
Employee type |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
full-time (100%) |
|
89.5 |
|
77.0 |
|
23.0 |
|
100.0 |
|
64.0 |
|
36.0 |
|
100.0 |
|
77.1 |
|
22.9 |
|
98.4 |
|
65.0 |
|
35.0 |
part-time (<100%) |
|
10.5 |
|
41.4 |
|
58.6 |
|
0.0 |
|
0.0 |
|
0.0 |
|
0.0 |
|
0.0 |
|
0.0 |
|
1.6 |
|
100.0 |
|
0.0 |
Employment contracts, wages and social benefits
As of December 31, 2024, BLG LOGISTICS employed a total of 9,807 people at our consolidated companies worldwide. The majority of our global workforce, 92.2 percent, is employed on an permanent contract. In the reporting year, 90.4 percent of employees worked full-time. Among part-time workers, women make up the larger group, accounting for 58.5 percent of the total, as in previous years. The part-time share in 2024 was highest in Germany at 10.5 percent. In South Africa, the share fell from 9.5 percent to 0 percent in the reporting year, and there were hardly any part-time employees at the other sites abroad.
In 2024, we continued to categorize our employees in the categories “women” and “men” only. However, we are aware that not all people identify as one of those genders. Of our own employees, only a few have identified themselves as non-binary – this share is currently less than 0.1 percent of the total workforce. For this reason, we do not yet list them separately in our statistics in order to avoid conclusions being drawn about individuals. However, we monitor this in the interests of equal representation.
Our employees are paid on the basis of the collective agreements applicable in our industry and at the respective locations, or in individual cases at comparable rates. In our international companies, too, we promote regulations in line with collective labor agreements that guarantee transparent and fair working conditions. Both our own employees and temporary workers receive at least the legal minimum wage as a matter of course.
All employees have the right to freedom of association and to participate in collective bargaining. In 2024, 97.3 percent of our own employees in Germany were covered by a collective bargaining system. The remaining 2.7 percent is made up of employees at our consolidated associates, AutoRail and RailTec, whose wages are based on the industry standard there. In addition, student assistants and interns are currently not systematically recorded as falling under collective agreements.
We have set ourselves a more comprehensive goal: that 100 percent of our own employees as well as temporary workers and activities under work for hire contracts fall under collective agreements, or have at least a comparable wage level, and all applicable protection regulations for employees are observed.
This target figure was integrated into quarterly reporting to the Board of Management and senior executives in the reporting year, for targeted management.
Almost all collective agreements were renegotiated and concluded at the end of their term. The BLG AutoTerminal Bremerhaven employment security contract expired as scheduled on May 31, 2024. This means that the full collectively agreed rate of the Central Association of German Seaport Operators will apply once again. Negotiations to conclude the 2025 regional collective agreement will continue only in Hesse.
In April 2024, BLG terminated the commercial collective agreement for EUROGATE and BLG, which had been in force since 2000, and invoked a need for action since after 25 years not all provisions complied with current case law. BLG aims to separate the company wage agreements of BLG and EUROGATE in terms of wage development, since the priorities of both companies have also diverged over this long period. Despite repeated requests, no new collective agreement could be concluded with ver.di in the reporting year. Until a mutual result is achieved, the old general collective agreement will continue to apply in its current form.
We attach great importance to taking the needs of our employees into account through all stages of their lives and provide specific support for them to achieve a work-life balance. In addition to the possibility of working part-time, BLG LOGISTICS also offers flexible working time models and, where possible, remote working so employees can reconcile everyday life with work in the best possible way.
Codetermination and one BLG for all
The megatrends of automation and digitalization are not only shaping the economy, but also have a significant impact on the logistics industry. We see these changes as an opportunity that we want to seize. At the same time, it is important to us to manage the transformation in a socially acceptable way and to involve our employees in this process.
Real codetermination is a central part of our corporate culture. We maintain an open dialog with our employees and attach great importance to respectful interactions with each other. This is based on mutual trust and having interests strongly represented through works councils and employee representation on the Supervisory Board. The exchange that takes place here is of great importance and enriching for the entire company. In the reporting year, a works council was newly elected and constituted for the first time at the Magdeburg site.
Equal integration for temporary agency workers
The logistics industry sees regular fluctuations when it comes to orders. For BLG LOGISTICS, this means that we can often only manage peaks in orders or very short contract periods by using temporary agency workers. In doing so, we rely exclusively on service providers who comply with the minimum wage requirements. Contractually agreed flexibility in the organization of working time applies for both permanent employees and temporary agency workers. This also includes short-term planning for work assignments, overtime or weekend work. As a matter of course, we ensure that the principle of “equal pay for equal work” is always observed in accordance with the German Temporary Employment Act (Arbeitnehmerüberlassungsgesetz, AÜG).
With regard to compliance with human rights due diligence under the LkSG, we take into account not only the working conditions for our own employees, but also those for temporary agency and contract workers. Here, a central review of the companies used was initiated in the reporting year with regard to work locations and contractual agreements, such as obligations in line with collective labor agreements and signing our Code of Conduct for suppliers and service providers.
As of December 31, 2024, employees in Germany were comprised as follows: 86.3 percent were our own employees, 3.5 percent belonged to Gesamthafenbetrieb (GHB, port staffing agency) and 10.2 percent were employees from other staffing service providers. Compared to the previous year, the proportion of temporary agency workers fell by 3.4 percentage points.
Human rights along the supply chain
Respect for human and labor rights is a central component of our corporate responsibility. This applies both to working conditions in our own company and to cooperation with direct suppliers, subcontractors and other partners. We are also committed to ensuring that these rights are respected and observed throughout the supply chain.
Since 2023, the BLG LOGISTICS GROUP AG & Co. KG falls within the scope of the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (LkSG), and since 2024, so do the three subsidiaries with over 1,000 employees, BLG Industrielogistik GmbH & Co. KG, BLG Handelslogistik GmbH & Co. KG and BLG AutoTerminal Bremerhaven GmbH & Co. KG. The management processes implemented BLG-wide for the promotion of human rights were once again closely examined and adapted accordingly, where necessary. For example, two Human Rights Coordinators were appointed in the subsidiaries to which the LkSG is directly applicable. In order to raise staff awareness, a basic online training course was also set up on the LkSG and its implementation at BLG LOGISTICS, and this has been mandatory since the beginning of 2025. The existing whistleblower system was also updated in the reporting year. More information can be found in the Compliance section.
All processes for fulfilling due diligence obligations under the LkSG are documented in a BLG-specific LkSG handbook. This was finalized in the reporting year and made available to employees over the intranet and the BLG app at the beginning of 2025. It serves as a guide for employees involved in implementation. In addition to an overview of legal requirements, it contains clear information on the respective roles and responsibilities, as well as detailed descriptions on implementing due diligence obligations at BLG LOGISTICS. Further information on the fulfillment of our due diligence obligations can be found in the sections on Risk Management, Sustainable Supply Chain and Compliance.
Staff turnover as an indicator
Staff turnover is an indicator of the satisfaction of our workforce. The fact that our employees feel comfortable with us is also of economic importance – the recruitment and onboarding of new colleagues is both time-consuming and costly. In 2024, 393 employees left the company at their own request. This represents a reduction in staff turnover rate from 6.4 percent to 4.3 percent compared to the previous year. In order to better understand the individual reasons for the change and to come up with possible measures for the future, exit interviews are standard.
Support for specific challenges
At our sites in Bremen and Bremerhaven, our employees and their relatives have access to social counseling from our company. Here, they receive support and advice in difficult situations, such as personal stress in the workplace, family problems, psychosomatic complaints, acute life crises and addiction disorders. In 2024, 67 employees took advantage of this, which corresponds to 2.4 percent of our employees benefiting from social counseling. In addition, we offer our employees financial grants for dental prostheses, homeopathic treatments, hearing aids and health resort cures through the employer-funded support association of BLG LOGISTICS GROUP e.V.