– The case is hair-raising, and unfortunately something we often see in Norwegian working life. This is what Storting politician Torbjørn Vereide (Ap) says after Polish Szymon claims he was dismissed on the day he demanded an employment contract. – When we see people coming up against the wall in Norwegian working life in the way that Szymon does, this is something that needs to be cleaned up, says Vereide. The government has received criticism from several quarters when they have spoken out about the state of Norwegian working life. – There are quite a few people in the Conservative Party who point out that nine out of ten are doing well in Norwegian working life, and that it is therefore black paint to say that we need a major overhaul of working life policy, says Vereide. – But if we draw parallels to bullying in school, we would not have accepted that one in ten pupils was bullied. People who speak up about experiences in the workplace deserve more than a few civil shrugs. Vereide says that the government has already taken measures to overcome social dumping, and that they are working on several measures. He points out that the government has already strengthened the Norwegian Labor Inspectorate, and that they are now proposing to give an additional NOK 20 million. In addition, he refers to the reintroduction of collective action rights and stricter rules for temporary employment. Storting politician Torbjørn Vereide (Ap) believes it is urgent to regulate the labor market. Photo: Jostein Vedvik / NTB Wants stricter punishment Dagfinn Henrik Olsen is a parliamentary representative for the Frp and a member of the labor and social committee. He praises Szymon who dared to speak out about what he experienced. – I think it is good that this young man dares to come forward. It is precisely these types of people that we need more of in order to stop such actors, says Olsen. He is also positive about giving more resources to the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority, but believes it is not enough to overcome social dumping. – You also need forms of reaction that enable you to clamp down on such activity. Then the fees must be so large that you simply go into the red by hiring cheap labour, says Olsen. – In addition, consideration must be given to putting such companies on the sidelines and saying that they simply will not be allowed to continue. Frps Dagfinn Henrik Olsen hopes more people will do like Polish Szymon and warn about objectionable conditions in the workplace. Photo: Petter Strøm / news – Several people believe that we are going too far The government believes that stricter rules for temporary employment and hired labor can help reduce workplace crime and social dumping. However, the opposition parties are skeptical about that. – It will make the threshold higher for many to enter the labor market. We must not forget that many young people combine part-time work with, for example, studies, says parliamentary representative for the Conservative Party, Erlend Svardal Bøe. He agrees with the FRP that clear sanctions and severe punishments are needed for those who commit workplace crime. – It is also important to lower the threshold for speaking up, so that employees have an easier way to notify and give notice, such as in the case with Szymon. Svardal Bøe highlights the a-crime centres, which were established when the Conservative Party was in government. He believes it is important to strengthen these arrangements. – Close and good cooperation between public actors is important. In addition, we must have stricter rules for public procurement and better information sharing. Storting representative for the Conservative Party, Erlend Svardal Bøe, is keen to abolish the a-crime centres. Photo: Tora Kyllingstad Re-introducing the scrapped scheme Neither the Right nor the FRP believe that the re-introduction of collective action rights is the right way to go. The scheme ensures that trade unions can initiate lawsuits and legal proceedings on behalf of employees. – This means that employees can be drawn into a lawsuit that they have absolutely no interest in participating in. It has to do with people’s legal certainty, and therefore we do not want to be involved in it, says Olsen. Collective action rights were scrapped by the Solberg government in 2015, but have now gained a majority in the Storting. – Although there are many bourgeois politicians who think it is unnecessary to have it in place, I believe that there are many quite clear examples of the need to have people at your back if you experience illegal conditions in the workplace, says Vereide.
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Politicians praise Polish workers who warned about objectionable conditions in the workplace – news Troms and Finnmark
