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Thursday, December 4th, got YTF Present YTF's prioritized measures against workplace crime and social dumping to Anniken Refseth (AP), member of the Transport and Communications Committee in the Storting.
It shouldn't pay to break the rules.
The gist is simple: The risk of getting caught is too low. This makes it too easy to circumvent the regulations and too difficult for serious players to compete on equal terms. YTF therefore requires that controls be strengthened and that reactions must sting more.
“When there is a low risk of being caught, social dumping becomes a business model. We need to turn that around with more control and stricter reactions,” says Wærstad. She has worked with social dumping and workplace crime for a number of years, and is concerned about how unscrupulous actors are outcompeting serious actors.
Three prioritized measures to prevent social dumping and workplace crime
At the meeting, the promise YTF three areas of focus that could improve the situation:
1. Controls must be strengthened because it should not be profitable to operate illegally
The risk of being caught for social dumping is too low today. This makes it worthwhile to break the rules. This can be changed with more frequent checks and stricter reactions. YTF believes that an inter-agency operational resource group must be put in place, and that the A-crime centers and the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority must be further strengthened.
2. Strengthen workers' rights and combat fake self-employment
The distinction between employee and pseudo-self-employed is well regulated in law, but there is little access to clarification for those who are self-employed van drivers or individual platform workers. These often work far beyond the limits of the law for very low pay. YTF wants the dispute resolution board under the Working Environment Act to be able to decide whether someone is employed or self-employed.
3. Responsibility of the transport buyer/client
Today's practice, where assignments are outsourced to subcontractors or sole proprietorships, weakens the seriousness of the industry. Responsibility is pulverized, and the transport buyer absolves himself of responsibility.
YTF believes that employer responsibility must follow real influence and not formal company structures. Professional transport buyers should alternatively have a general duty of care and joint and several liability to ensure that employees further down the chain receive what they are entitled to in terms of wages and working conditions.
YTF follow up
The meeting at the Storting is part of YTF's work for a more serious working life in the transport industry. YTF will continue to push for measures that work so that the rules apply to everyone, and that it is not the serious ones who pay the price.
– This is about job security and that everyone should have a living wage. When rogues are allowed to stay, conditions are pushed down for everyone.
Therefore, we need stricter efforts with more controls, clearer responsibility for clients and reactions that actually work, says union leader Trude Sande.
Federation leader Trude Sande (left) at the Storting with Anniken Refseth (AP), member of the Transport and Communications Committee at the Storting. Photo: YTF
