The EEA is good for Norwegian workers

Anniken Hauglie EU EEANorwegian Minister of Labour, Anniken Hauglie (Conservatives). Photo: Regjeringen.no / Pixabay.com

The EEA is good for Norwegian workers

The Norwegian Minister of Labour, Anniken Hauglie (Conservatives), defends the EEA Agreement and believes the Government does a lot to combat social dumping.

 

There is increasing resistance in the Trade Union movement because the agreement has led to the need to change Norwegian working conditions in order to comply with EU rules. The opposition addressed the matter during Wednesday’s parliamentary question hour.

– The scope of action needed to safeguard safe workplaces, with salaries that can be live on, is contained in the EEA Agreement. This has been followed up by proposals in the Norwegian Parliament. But that assumes that the Government makes use of this action room, the Leader of Labour, Jonas Gahr Støre, emphasises.

He criticises the Norwegian Government for, among other things, not having prepared sanctions that will punish companies that violate the rules for the hiring of labour, which the Norwegian Parliament has decided should be in force as of January 1st, 2019.

Hauglie refutes

Hauglie strongly refuted what she perceives as an accusation that the Government does not do anything to combat unseriousness in the workplace, and showed, among other measures, to the establishment of employment crime centres.

She also realises that there are challenges connected to the EEA agreement, but stresses that:

“ The big picture is that the EEA is good for both Norwegian workers and Norwegian working life. ”

Flourishing debate

The EEA debate is flourishing following a decision by the European Surveillance Authority (ESA), which states that Norway can’t force companies to comply with Norwegian rules for travel, boarding and lodging for foreign workers.

Hauglie points to that this is a complex matter, but emphasises that there is an EU directive issued very recently.

– The Directive strengthens workers’ rights. It is good for the workers in Europe and Norway that this will come into place, Hauglie concludes.

 

© NTB scanpix / #Norway Today