GTS Trasporti goes bankrupt, new firm still works for DHL

An investigation by Falò, the current-affairs programme of Swiss broadcaster RSI, traces the story of GTS Trasporti SA, a Ticino company that delivered parcels as a subcontractor for DHL. The company went bankrupt last May with over 1.5 million francs in debt. Several former employees interviewed by Falò report unpaid wages and benefits.

Luis, a former employee, says he was required to wear the DHL uniform at work. Hired by GTS in September 2025, he was not paid for two months and resigned in April 2026. He later recovered almost everything owed to him, but is still missing a few hundred francs and eight months of family allowances.

It was worse for Davide, who worked for GTS for five years. He is claiming over 12,000 francs in unpaid wages and benefits, recognised by a ruling from the Bellinzona district court. The company had committed to paying by 30 May 2026, but declared bankruptcy before paying the sum. Davide does not know if he will ever see the money.

Same managers, suspected bankruptcy offences

GTS Trasporti SA's bankruptcy was declared by the Bellinzona district court on 19 May. Less than a month later, GTS Transport & Logistics Sagl was founded, based in Contone, continuing the same business under the same lead manager. By the end of May, debt collection orders against the old company exceeded 1.5 million francs.

The new company's president also owns Enzo Cars, a garage that buys and sells vehicles. According to Falò's investigation, GTS Trasporti SA allegedly transferred several vehicles to Enzo Cars in the weeks before the bankruptcy. The Unia union reported the case to the bankruptcy office and the public prosecutor, suspecting that part of the assets were removed from the bankruptcy estate to the detriment of creditors and employees. Founding a new company after a bankruptcy is legal; what remains unclear is whether it was also legal to transfer assets while debt-collection proceedings were under way.

Unia says it reported GTS's irregularities as early as April 2025, both to the cantonal joint commission for road transport and to DHL: unrecognised meal allowances and overtime, and minimum wages not respected. The joint commission had already inspected the company in September 2023, finding numerous violations, and imposed one of the highest fines in its history, around 20,000 francs, never collected because of the bankruptcy.

DHL Switzerland says it cannot provide details on its contracts with third parties, but confirms a years-long contractual relationship with Gestione Trasporto Servis SA, which carries out part of the deliveries in Ticino on its behalf and is not, in principle, affected by the dissolution of GTS Trasporti SA. The company says it was informed of alleged irregularities around four months ago and has taken measures in recent weeks, without specifying their content. GTS's managers state that all employees were taken on by the new company on the same salary terms, without any loss of pay or days of unemployment benefit.