A-krimsenteret in Oslo consists of the Norwegian Labor Inspectorate, the Norwegian Tax Agency, the Oslo Police District, the Eastern Police District and NAV. The cooperation has been going on since 2015. The Interagency Center is designed to prevent and detect crime in the workplace.
The commercial vehicle industry continues to be characterized violations of regulations. This is shown in a new report by A-krimsenteret in Oslo, which carried out regular inspections with the industry in Oslo and the surrounding area in 2022.
“It is worrying that there are still so many violations of the rules of various agencies,” says Gro Smogeli, head of the Oslo crime center.
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The industry has been controlled for several years. However, there is little sign of positive developments since the previous report from the Crime Center was released in 2019.
A-krimsenteret in Oslo carried out a series of inspections until 2022. The inspections revealed a wide range of crimes in the workplace, such as illegal work and turnover, tax and fee evasion, violations of the Working Environment Act and workers at risk of exploitation. Premises for social security fraud were also found.
New drivers also do not know their rights and obligations
The van industry is a high-risk industry for workplace crime. It's easy to set up a transport company. In addition, the industry is less regulated than the transport industry above 3,5 tonnes.
– There are low competency requirements for working as a driver. 88 percent of those inspected are foreigners. Many of them were newcomers with little connection to Norway. They have problems with understanding the language, they also do not know their rights and obligations - says Smogeli.
Serious companies that abide by laws and regulations face very demanding competitive conditions in the face of unscrupulous players. Both employers and clients can contribute to minimizing the field of action of unscrupulous and criminal actors in this industry.
Positive trends
The Inter-Agency Van Crime Prevention Project Group released a Van Crime Prevention Guide in mid-2022.
– In the fall of 2022, a number of large industry players announced that they were hiring their own drivers. This is very positive for the industry. Our inspection results show that there is still much to be done, so in the future we will pay attention to the industry, both in terms of inspection and guidance, says Smogeli.
The Norwegian Labor Inspectorate is not surprised by the results
– This aligns well with the picture of the industry that we also have in the Norwegian Labor Inspectorate and shows that there is still a need for both control and guidance in the transport industry, says Torgeir Moholt, who heads the Inspectorate's section.
“We will continue to cooperate with other control services and the police,” says Moholt.
“And we will continue to monitor the industry, especially with regard to the possible exploitation of vulnerable workers.
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Source: Norwegian Labor Inspectorate
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