In a series of cases, news has investigated illegal work and the Norwegian Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s reactions. Just before Christmas, SV put forward a three-part proposal to strengthen the Norwegian Labor Inspectorate. The party demanded, among other things, a full review of the inspectorate’s opportunities to obtain information and impose sanctions in the event of a breach of the law. – We want to secure the tools that the inspectorate needs to work effectively. The better job they do, the more likely it is that the police will open an investigation, says the party’s deputy leader Kirsti Bergstø. She refers to news’s revelation that only a fraction of the reports from the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority have led to a verdict. 40 percent were discarded. Read SV’s entire proposal, which was first mentioned by Aftenposten, in the fact box at the bottom. EXPANDING THE TOOLBOX: Kirsti Bergstø, deputy leader of SV, wants more inspectors, a trust reform and a full review of the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority’s ability to obtain information and react to violations of the law. Photo: Ole Berg-Rusten / NTB Now the Conservative Party announces support. – We clearly support a review of the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority’s toolbox. They need to get updated permits, says Storting representative Aleksander Stokkebø. Labor Minister Marte Mjøs Persen (Ap) is also positive. She confirms this in an e-mail: “I aim to review the Norwegian Labor Inspectorate’s powers broadly”, she writes. With the government on board, there is a majority in the Storting to consider stronger protection for the Labor Inspectorate. Two clear demands from the employees Vivian Mikalsen, chief shop steward for NTL in the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority, has two demands: A clear authority to seize documents that companies do not want to show during inspections. Access to retrieve information from several actors. – Today, we are largely dependent on information from the companies that are controlled. Our job would have been easier if we could obtain information from third parties, she says. – What is a third party? – It can be lessors, customers, insurance companies, banks, accountants, app suppliers and fleet management tools in the transport industry. WANTS MORE GUNS: Vivian Mikalsen is the chief shop steward for NTL in the Norwegian Labor and Welfare Authority and works in Tromsø. Photo: Marita Andersen / news Suspect fictitious documentation news has previously participated in inspections at Norwegian shipyards. Here, the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority suspected fictitious documentation. According to Mikalsen, this applies to several industries. – When people claim they only work five hours a day, we would like to have the authority to retrieve the port list, from a third party, which shows when they came and went, she says. Mikalsen points to fittings as a solution. – It will cut off the possibility of tampering with documents afterwards, she says. CHECKED: Workers from foreign companies are interviewed during an inspection at the Vard Langsten shipyard in October 2021. news has smeared the faces of the workers. Photo: KJETIL SOLHØI / news Will let the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority fine people In the Storting, the parties are now fighting to strengthen the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority. Today, Rødt announces yet another new proposal. The party wants to allow the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority to issue fines to people with a leading role in a company. Today, the supervisory authority can only fine the company itself. NEW PROPOSAL: Storting representative Mímir Kristjánsson in the Red party believes it is problematic that companies can escape fines from the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority by going bankrupt. Photo: Red – Companies that receive infringement fees often go bankrupt. Then the fee is waived. The owner or director can therefore be left with the profit after the offences. It is problematic, says Storting representative Mímir Kristjánsson to news. He believes that cases on news and in Aftenposten have shown that it is almost risk-free to be a criminal in Norwegian working life. – Serious offenses end up without any form of punishment. The Norwegian Labor Inspectorate should be given the opportunity to hold responsible leading people in a company, he says. The Norwegian Consumer Safety Authority, the Norwegian Aviation Safety Authority, the Norwegian Financial Supervisory Authority, the Danish Regulatory Authority and the Swedish Lottery Safety Authority confirm to news that they are currently allowed to issue infringement fees to persons. See more about Rød’s proposal in the fact box at the bottom of the case. news has asked the Labor Minister what she thinks of Rød’s proposal. She doesn’t answer that. CLEAR MESSAGE: Labor Minister Marte Mjøs Persen (Ap) has notified the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority of more checks in 2023. Photo: Alf Simensen / NTB She instead refers to the instruction she sent the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority on Friday for 2023: Crack down on crime in the workplace. This will be done through more supervision, more fees and routine police reports in the event of serious workplace crime. The proposals from SV and Rødt will be formally considered in the Storting during the spring. New proposals on the Norwegian Labor Inspectorate at the Storting SV has put forward a three-part proposal: 1. The Storting asks the government to start work on a trust reform in the Norwegian Labor Inspectorate, with the aim of discontinuing unnecessary measurement and control and ensuring increased co-determination and participation from the employees. 2. The Storting asks the government to review and assess the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority’s powers for supervision, access to information and sanctioning options under the Working Environment Act. 3. The Storting asks the government to come back in the proposal for the state budget for 2024 with a step-up plan to increase the number of inspector positions in the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority. Rødt puts forward the following proposal: The Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority should be able to fine people with a leading role in an enterprise, in the event of gross violations of the Working Environment Act. This could be the company’s owner, director or day-to-day manager. The proposal requires that Section 18-10 of the Working Environment Act be amended. The paragraph now states that the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority can only issue infringement fines to a business. Both proposals will be considered in the Storting during the spring.
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Majority to consider stronger protection for the Norwegian Labor Inspectorate – news Dokumentar
