Foreign workers are at risk of exploitation in their working life if they do not know their rights in Norwegian working life. At SUA, Hanka helps them gain knowledge about what is due to them.
– The language is probably the biggest challenge. Employees come with employment contracts in a language they do not understand, says Hanka Hansen from the Norwegian Labor Inspectorate.
He advises foreign workers on their rights in Norwegian working life at the Foreign Workers Service Center (SUA) in Trondheim.
Good cooperation between agencies
SUA is the result of cooperation between the Norwegian Labor Inspectorate, the police, the Norwegian Tax Office and UDI. Here, foreign workers can receive all the information they need to work in Norway. SUA can be found in Oslo, Stavanger, Bergen, Trondheim and Kirkenes.
As a rule, employees do not meet with the Norwegian Labor Inspectorate. Most often, they come to obtain a certificate of registration, order a residence card or obtain a Norwegian identification number and a tax card.
It may then happen that the police or the Norwegian Tax Office discover deficiencies in the employment contract or suspect problems related to the employment relationship and refer employees to Hanka.
– Cooperation with other SUA agencies is going well – he says.
Reveals deficiencies in employment contracts
Hanka often encounters shortcomings in employment contracts.
– 80-90 percent The contracts I read have some shortcomings and do not meet the requirements of the Work Environment Act, says Hanka.
It may happen that the contracts do not contain information on daily and weekly working hours, there is no information on whether the position is permanent or temporary, there is also no information on overtime remuneration or the notice period.
– There are also contracts written in Norwegian for employees who do not know Norwegian. Then it is difficult for them to understand what is written in the contract.
At arbeidstilsynet.no we have employment contract templates in ten languages that meet the minimum substantive requirements in accordance with Art. 14-6 of the Working Environment Act. The back of the templates also explains what these contract points mean in all these languages.
Here are templates of employment contracts
Contributes to the fight against crime in the workplace
Working with information is also an important point of SUA interagency cooperation. SUA in Trondheim works closely with the crime center in Trøndelag and provides tips if they suspect a crime in the workplace.
– SUA agencies had one of their social missions to contribute to the identification of inappropriate and illegal working conditions. Hanka emphasizes that what will be discovered here may be a small element that starts a larger criminal case.
– I have experienced several times that foreign employees open up more when they meet people who speak their own language. This can take place in SUA, but also during inspections, where we can help inspectors in terms of language. The information we obtain during such conversations may prove important in the context of committing a crime.
Information in a language you understand is important
Hanka provides advice and information in Czech, Russian, Slovak, Polish, English and Norwegian. Most often, he speaks Polish to incoming people.
– Information about rights in their own language is important so that foreign workers can gain the necessary knowledge, says Hanka.
The website knowyourrights.no has recently been translated into three new languages: Latvian, Spanish and Arabic. In total, the Norwegian Labor Inspectorate currently has information on the work of foreign workers in Norway in 12 languages.
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Source: Norwegian Labor Inspectorate
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