Supermarkets GS spa, Carrefour group, is the latest operator under investigation for tax fraud and exploitation of workers, treated as ‘labour tanks’. On 15 April 2024, on a warrant from the Milan Public Prosecutor Paolo Storari, the Milan Finance Police seized EUR 64.7 million from the group for tax fraud.
The ‘labor reservoirs’
The criminal scheme of the ‘labor reservoirs’ consists in employing in logistics and porterage (‘goods handling’) workers ‘supplied’ by a company that in turn procures them from another entity, often a cooperative or a consortium.
The aim is to maximize profits and save on the cost of workers, treated like machines. Underpaid, deprived of social security and welfare contributions, moved from one company to another, in the game of the short duration of the company useful for slowing down controls and sowing tax evasion.
False documents for 362 million euros
The investigations reveal ‘a complex tax fraud resulting from the use, by the final beneficiary’, namely GS spa (Carrefour Italia group), ‘of the illicit mechanism of invoices for legally non-existent transactions in exchange for the stipulation of fictitious contracts for the supply of labor, in violation of the sector regulations, which led to the issuing and subsequent use of false documents for a total amount exceeding 362 million euros’.
The workers employed at the GS spa offices ‘were “shielded” by “filter” companies which in turn made use of various cooperative companies (“reservoir” companies), which systematically omitted the payment of VAT, as well as social security and welfare charges to the workers’.
13 labor suppliers identified
The investigations – which continue – have already identified 13 suppliers who operate with GS spa through the sanctioned system of ‘fictitious interposition of labor’.
Is that what everyone does?
The giants involved include DHL, the GLS group, Spumador, Salumificio Beretta, Spreafico, Movimoda, Uber, Lidl, Nolostand-Fiera Milano, Schenker, Aldieri, the Cegalin-Hotelvolver group, BRT, Geodis, UPS, Chiapparoli, Securitalia and Esselunga. The latter quickly settled its accounts with the tax authorities (paying almost 48 million euros) and hired 2,311 workers from the ‘labour reservoir’ cooperatives.
GS-Carrefour like Esselunga?
That is to say, settle the accounts with the tax authorities and hire the workers of the tanks used by GS spa to extend them the same good conditions granted to the collaborators of Carrefour, a benefit company, certified for the sixth time as a Top Employer and committed to ensuring that ‘our company becomes an increasingly inclusive place, attentive to the well-being and quality of life of our collaborators’.
Professional journalist since January 1995, he has worked for newspapers (Il Messaggero, Paese Sera, La Stampa) and periodicals (NumeroUno, Il Salvagente). She is the author of journalistic surveys on food, she has published the book "Reading labels to know what we eat".
