The German government warned foreign employers they could be fined more than 30,000 euros if they fail to pay the national minimum wage to truckers who drive across Germany. Berlin has introduced a national minimum wage of 8.50 euros ($10) an hour this year. That is higher than many earn in a Polish trucking industry that has taken advantage of low costs to grab a big share of the trans-European road freight business. Foreign firms are irked by the new rules and by the prospect of having to register drivers' employment details with German authorities. A German labour ministry spokesman said on Wednesday that the new law was in line with European Union rules and that the minimum wage would be undermined if it was not also paid to foreign employees working in Germany. German customs officials will ask foreign truck drivers and their employers abroad for employment details during routine checks, the spokesman explained. "If there are signs that documentation requirements are not met, this could lead to sanctions of 10,000, 20,000 or even up to 30,000 euros depending on the individual case," he said. "And if there is a breach (of the minimum wage law), the fine will be even higher of course," the spokesman added. A European Commission spokesman said on Tuesday the German minimum wage was in line with the bloc's employment policies but that the Commission had received complaints about it from Poland and Hungary relating to the transport sector. An EU source has told Reuters that it is preparing to call Berlin to account over the law, which has angered Poland and other eastern European countries. European Union officials believe Germany is breaking EU law by applying the regulation to foreign workers in transit, the source said. But a formal approach to Berlin has yet to be made. (Reuters)