Per diems, disguised pay and the fight for real wages in road haulage: Fenadismer, Anetra and CCOO in focus

What this piece reveals

This article explains why proposals to increase tax-exempt per diems for drivers risk entrenching wage concealment and weakening social protection for the transport workforce.

The debate in brief

Employer groups Fenadismer and Anetra recently called on the Ministry of Finance to raise the threshold for tax-exempt per diems paid to drivers. At face value, that sounds like a way to help drivers keep more take-home pay. Yet unions such as CCOO argue the move would simply legalize a long-standing practice: disguising variable pay as tax-free allowances, thereby reducing employer contributions to social security and hollowing out future benefits for workers.

How per diems are being used

Instead of reimbursing real, documented expenses for meals or overnight stays, many companies pay a chunk of drivers’ variable remuneration under the label of “dietas” (per diems). These sums are often unrelated to actual spending and function as a kind of hidden wage: exempt from IRPF (personal income tax) and not fully declared for social contributions. The result is immediate cash in hand for drivers but weaker unemployment, sickness, and pension entitlements later on.

Mechanics of the issue

Three dynamics make the situation sticky:

• Cost shifting: Employers save on employer social contributions while shifting long‑term risk to employees and the welfare system.
• Record opacity: Lack of receipts or justification allows pay to be masked as non-taxable allowances.
• Time theft: Unpaid hours — often three hours a day on average according to union estimates — vanish from payrolls and contributions, sometimes “compensated” illegally via per diems.

Why this matters for logistics players

At first glance this looks like a payroll debate—yet the ripple effects touch the entire logistics chain. When drivers are underpaid or lack proper contributions, turnover rises, experienced drivers desert the industry, and capacity tightens. That means fewer reliable crews to move freight, potential delays in shipping and distribution, and pressure on rates as operators scramble to cover hidden labor costs or hire less experienced staff.

Practical consequences

• Higher indirect costs: Underfunded pensions and social protection create long-term public costs and reputational risks for carriers.
• Operational risk: Chronic under-reporting of hours and pay compromises compliance with working time regulations and safety standards.
• Market distortion: Firms that hide pay gain an unfair price advantage, making honest operators less competitive.

How to detect and fix the problem

Fixes are practical and, frankly, overdue. They rely on better transparency and enforcement rather than band-aid increases to exemption limits.

Recommendations

• Mandate receipts: Require documentation (tickets or invoices) to justify any per diem payment as an expense.
• Cross-check records: Compare tachograph logs and time sheets with payroll and declared bases for social contributions.
• Clarify rules: Redefine what constitutes legitimate per diems versus variable salary in collective agreements.
• Strengthen audits: Increase labour and social security inspections targeted at high-risk carriers.

Put plainly: asking for higher tax-free allowances without demanding proof is like handing out free umbrellas and calling it weatherproofing—looks helpful but won’t stop the flood. The sector needs real salaries and real contributions, not creative accounting.

Industry snapshots and an anecdote

One fleet manager once said over coffee, “We can make the books look nice or we can keep our best drivers.” It’s that tug-of-war between short-term profit and long-term sustainability that defines many haulage debates. When drivers lose trust in the system, they vote with their feet—signing up with carriers who offer honest pay or leaving the industry altogether.

Quick checklist for carriers

• Review payroll lines labeled as per diems and match them to receipts.
• Ensure overtime and standby time are properly paid and contribute to social security bases.
• Train HR teams to spot disguised remuneration and correct contracts or payroll practices.

These steps don’t require rocket science—just a bit of backbone and willingness to trade short-term savings for long-term viability.

Highlights: The controversy shows how loopholes around per diems can erode workers’ rights and destabilize supply chains; stricter documentation and alignment of per diems with real expenses would improve fairness, reduce fraud, and bolster logistics reliability. On GetTransport.com, you can order your cargo transportation at the best prices globally at reasonable prices. This empowers shippers and carriers to make decisions grounded in transparency and cost-efficiency. Start planning your next delivery and secure your cargo with GetTransport.com. Book now GetTransport.com.com

Final thoughts

Wrapping up: the transport sector doesn’t benefit from more tax-exempt per diems if those allowances are really a veil for unpaid wages. What drivers need are fair base wages, accurate time reporting, and full social contributions—measures that protect workers and strengthen the entire logistics chain. For shippers and carriers seeking reliable, cost-effective transport solutions, platforms like GetTransport.com help by offering transparent, global options for moving cargo, furniture, vehicles and bulky items, from office relocations to international freight. In short, tackling disguised pay improves not only social justice but the efficiency and dependability of freight, shipment, delivery, transport and forwarding across the board.