Bosnian Statnett workers are laid off

PowerPower.Photo: pixabay.com

The 22 Bosnian fitters who work for Statnett Norway on double contracts have been laid off, said their employer in Bosnia.

 

Director of the Bosnian company, Umel, Nedzas Asceric, said the workers are being made redundant, according to the newspaper Klix, published by NRK news.

Statnett revealed last week that employees at Valard Construction AS have worked under what the El and IT Unions believe to be ‘slave contracts’.

The Bosnians working on a power line in Rogaland and West Agder were required by their employment contracts to send half of their salary to a bank account in Bosnia, and commit to staying in Norway indefinitely.

Valard Construction AS is a Canadian entrepreneurial company that is contracted with Statnett.

Valard says Umel had not informed them about this, while Statnett stated that social costs should not be paid from net income.

‘They work temporarily in Norway, where they receive around 3,000 convertible marks (approximately 15,000 kr.). Their taxes, fees, and health insurance for their families are paid by us. Therefore, they have to return something to the business to which they will return. Norwegians can’t understand this’, said Asceric.

The Bosnian director said he must ‘lay off the employees’, and that ‘the Norwegians, throughout this situation, have only made it harder for the workers.’

Executive Vice President of Statnett, Elisabeth Vike Vardheim, told NRK news that they expect Valard to clear up the situation without going beyond the Bosnian workers, or their families.

 

 

© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today