– It is disappointing that we find such a high number of offenses when we check, says head of the crime center in Nordland Kurt Kolvereid Jacobsen to news. He says this after the A-crime center has checked 55 catering establishments in Nordland and uncovered offenses in 60 per cent of them. The list of offenses is long: Employment agreements that do not comply with the Working Environment Act. Inadequate maintenance of personnel lists Gross violations of working time regulations Several cases where employees have not received the general salary and overtime allowance to which they are entitled. Several social security abuse cases Failure to pay taxes and fees Supplementary results from the A-crime center’s restaurant inspections in 2022: Offenses of varying severity have been uncovered in 60% of the establishments inspected. Interviews have been conducted with approx. 100 Norwegian and foreign employees. Employees are made familiar with Norwegian laws and regulations, particularly in relation to collective wages. The Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority has ordered 5 businesses to pay back the general salary to employees. Many long working days without rest have been recorded, with up to 16.5 hours of daily working time. It appears from time sheets that employees have worked every day for a period of 41 days without a weekly rest. Several employees have worked a great deal without overtime pay. For several employees, the hourly wage is very low and far below the general wage for the industry. The tax authority has secured payment of outstanding tax and duty claims of more than NOK 2,600,000. Several of the young workers who have been found during inspections have expressed concerns about working conditions such as little predictability, long shifts without the possibility of a break, and poor or inadequate training. 14 enterprises have deviations according to failure to keep personnel lists. Minor errors and deficiencies in employment contracts have been uncovered at some businesses. Exploitation of foreign labor that tends towards human trafficking has not been uncovered. NAV will investigate 14 cases of social security abuse. – We see individual actors who both steal from the welfare state, destroy those who operate seriously in the form of distortion of competition, and not least exploit vulnerable workers, says Kolvereid Jacobsen. – It is disappointing that we find such a high number of offenses when we check, says head of the crime center in Nordland Kurt Kolvereid Jacobsen. Worked 16 hours a day Among the worst examples, he mentions foreign workers with daily working hours of more than 16 hours over long periods. They also found work lists showing that some worked 41 days straight without a weekly rest. Many have also worked long days without overtime pay, and with wages down to NOK 100 an hour. The inspectors at the A-crime center have checked 55 catering establishments in Nordland, and uncovered offenses in 60 per cent of them. Photo: A-crime center in Nordland Several young people also spoke of unfavorable working conditions such as little predictability, long shifts without the possibility of a break, and poor or inadequate training. – Young people are the workforce of the future, which makes it particularly important that they are taken care of and that a good encounter with working life is ensured. They are often also afraid of losing their job or getting bad references if they report objectionable circumstances or make demands, says Jacobsen. Assessing reviews The A crime boss will not say where in Nordland it is worst, but says that certain areas stand out. But the A crime center has been pretty much everywhere, in both larger and smaller cities. The Storting instructs the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority to report several cases to the police. But in the last seven years, only a fraction of the inspectorate’s reviews have led to a verdict. However, Jacobsen is clear that the offenses in Nordland will have consequences. The A-crime center has carried out checks in all the big cities in Nordland. Here from Bodø. Photo: Benjamin Fredriksen / Ola Helness / news – The catering establishments with the most serious offenses can expect severe reactions. In some cases, we may close the operation and perhaps also submit a report to the police. NHO: – Can’t have it the way Magne Kristensen is working life director at NHO reiseliv. He is happy that offenses are uncovered and cracked down on. – What is emerging is unacceptable. Employers who do not behave properly towards their employees over time will not survive, says Magne Kristensen in NHO. Photo: Per Thrana / NHO – What we are presented with here is completely unacceptable. It shouldn’t be like this. Kristensen emphasizes that the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority conducts so-called directed supervision. – This means that they check companies where there is the greatest probability of uncovering offences. We are very happy about that. We cannot have it so that our serious members get completely unfair competition from companies that do not follow laws and regulations. Facts about A-crime A-crime is a collaboration between the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority, NAV, the police and the Tax Agency. Are such centers located in Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, Stavanger, Kristiansand, Bodø and Tønsberg. A-crime is a collaboration between the Norwegian Labor and Welfare Authority, NAV, the police, the Norwegian Customs and the Norwegian Tax Agency. At the centres, employees work to uncover a-crime, gather knowledge and control businesses. The centers emphasize getting tips from the public. Kristensen does not want to speculate on whether the figures in Nordland are representative of the catering industry across the country – In the long run, you will not get away with being a bad employer anyway. You have to offer people decent conditions, otherwise you won’t survive.
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Disappointing result after inspection of the restaurant industry in Nordland – news Nordland
