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Description
The overall objective is to promote decent working conditions for workers, fair competition for companies and sustainable welfare systems.
The project included joint activities in close cooperation between the labour inspectorates in Lithuania and Norway:
- Information campaign to increase knowledge among Lithuanian employers and employees about labour regulations in Norway and improve working conditions. The campaign attracted more than 28.000 people to the webpage www.knowyourrights.no which provide information in Lithuanian.
- Annual seminars to increase knowledge in both countries by sharing best practice about effective ways to fight undeclared work, to establish fair competition in the labour market and to provide safe working conditions.
- Staff visits for learning to enhance knowledge on inspection practices, culture and legal regulations in both countries. Four inspectors from Lithuania visited a cooperation centre in Norway in October 2021, and they were introduced with its structure, activities and main tasks. The inspectors also participated in joint inspections as observers. A second staff visit for learning was held in Lithuania in October 2022.
- Staff visits for assistance involved mutual assistance in practical inspection cases, either by doing inspections in both countries simultaneously or by being part of inspections in the other country.
- Joint authorities'' activities to strengthen Lithuanian''s fight against undeclared work by transferring the Norwegian model of joint authority cooperation on national level and to establish a bilateral joint authority cooperation. Cooperation between Norwegian and Lithuanian authorities (Norwegian Labour Inspectorate, Tax inspectorate, Social Security institution and Police from one side and Labour inspectorate, Tax inspectorate, Social Insurance Fund Board, Financial Crime Investigation Service, Police and State Border Guard Service from Lithuanian side) started to become intensive.
Summary of project results
The background for this project is that many Lithuanian enterprises have relocated their business to Norway, and new challenges of ensuring labour rights of Lithuanian workers have appeared. The project aimed at promoting decent working conditions for workers, fair competition for companies and sustainable welfare systems, by carrying out joint activities in close cooperation between the labour inspectorates in Lithuania and Norway.
The project included five main activities:
Activity 1 – Information campaign
The "Know Your Rights" campaign was initiated by the Norwegian Labour Inspectorate in order to draw the attention of migrant workers from Lithuania, Estonia, Bulgaria, Romania working in Norway to the working conditions applied in the Norwegian labour market, in particular, wages, working and rest periods, social guarantees, etc. The campaign was created by a public relations agency, but representatives of labour inspectorates were involved in the development of ideas. A website and video clips were created and made public on social media.
During January 202, the campaign “Know Your Rights” was held in Lithuania. The State Labor Inspectorate (VDI) conducted a multi-channel awareness campaign about legal employment, utilizing digital media, radio, and social networks. The campaign successfully reached a significant audience through multiple channels, with particularly strong performance in digital media. The mix of educational content, practical advice, and enforcement news provided a well-rounded message about legal employment benefits and risks.
Activity 2 – Annual seminars
Due to the pandemic, only one annual seminar was heldp physicaly in Vilnius in March 2022, while other seminars took place via Teams. The seminars discussed the implementation of the project and planned further activities.
Activity 3 – Staff visits for learning
Four inspectors from the State Labour Inspectorate of Lithuania visited a joint cooperation centre in Norway in October 2021. Inspectors were introduced with the structure of the centre, its activities and main tasks. During this visit, inspectors also participated in joint inspections as observers.
A second staff visit for learning was held in Lithuania in October 2022, where four Norwegian labour inspectors were introduced with the activities of the labour inspectorate and participated in joint inspections
Activity 4 – Staff visits for assistance
During the project, two real cases of Lithuanian companies carrying activities in Norway were investigated and joint inspections were held in Norway and Lithuania.
First joint inspection was held in April 2023 in Lofoten, where the Joint Center of Bodø carried out control actions of four companies at three different construction sites. The basis of control was to reveal work-related violations in the construction business. Participants in the inspections were representatives of the Nordland Joint Center and two representatives from Lithuania (one from the State Tax Inspectorate and one from the State Labor Inspectorate), as well as two Norwegian labor inspectorates and two employees of the Norwegian tax inspectorate. The main purpose was to gather more information about ongoing labor violations, and it was planned that the Joint Center would conduct unannounced inspections of construction sites to identify illegal workers, improper working conditions, and violations of tax and labor standards.
The second joint inspection together with inspectors from Norway was held in September 2023 in northern Lithuania. There was an inspection of the company that was inspected previuosly in Lofoten. Violations of paying remuneration were detected, and the Lithuanian company was sanctionned and it stopped its activities.
Activity 5 – Joint authorities'' activities
This activity was planned to start in April 2020 with a planning meeting in Vilnius and then several activities as seminars and staff exchanges, but the meeting was cancelled because of travel restrictions and the kick-off of this activity had to be postponed.
Instead, a first joint webinar was held in December 2020 with 16 participants from Lithuania (representatives of State Labour Inspectorate, State Social Insurance Fund Board, State Tax Inspectorate, the Police, Financial Crime Investigation Service and State Border Guard) and nine representatives from Norway (Labour Inspection Authority, Norwegian National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime, Joint Centre for Combating Work-related Crime, Oslo and Bodo branches, and Norwegian Tax Administration were represented). All the relevant authorities presented their institutions and main activities in the field of combatting undeclared work and human trafficking.
In April 2022, ten members of above mentioned institutions visited Oslo Joint centre. The Chief State Labour Inspector of Lithuania met with the General Director of the Norwegian Labour Inspectorate and the Chief of Norwegian National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime. During this meeting, the Lithuanian delegation was introduced with the principles of institutional cooperation in Norway.
In May 2022, ten Lithuanian inspectors visited the Joint Centre in Bodø in the North of Norway. They were introduced with the local cooperation of thet centre and made inspections in work places together with their Norwegian colleagues.
In September 2022, twelve inspectors from six Lithuanian institutions visited Oslo Joint centre. The Lithuanian inspectors were introduced with the work of the Joint centre and participated in inspections of construction sites where Lithuanian citizens were working.
In November 2022, twelve Norwegian representatives participated in a two-days seminar in Vilnius. Lithuanian authorities presented their joint cooperation for combating undeclared work.
In February 2023, a joint meting was held in Bodø, Norway with 12 participants from Lithuania and 15 from Norway. The purpose of the meeting was to share information about suspiciuos actors working in Lithuania and Norway and to plan for joint inspections. The A-crime centre of Bodø shared their good practice and presented their practical work, which inspired the Lithuanian authorities in their work on establishing a joint centre in Lithuania. It was decided to organise a seminar to show Norwegian practice for the Lithuanian authorities to facilitate political decisions to transform the Norwegian model to Lithuania. During the meeting, two sub-groups were formed: one organizing joint inspections of Lithuanian companies working in both countries and a second group of inspectors to monitor transport companies.
In March 2023, a conference for Lithuanian authorities was held where relevant Norwegian institutions presented their practice in establishing A-crime centres, their role in cooperation, results and good practice. This event was very significant, and after the conference, the Lithuanian Government decided to establish a pilot centre in Lithuania and requested the State Labour Inspectorate to prepare the proposal in cooperation with relevant national institutions.
Finally, on 1 February 2024, the Joint cooperation centre was established and started work in the headquarters of State Labour Inspectorate. The Centre consists of two members of the State Labour inspectorate, two members of the Tax inspectorate, one member of the State social insurance fund, as well as members from the Police, the Financial crime investigation centre, and State border guard service on a non-permanent basis.
The project has built the capacity of Labour inspections authorities both in Liithuania and Norway to carry out inspections to fight work-related crime.
Summary of bilateral results
The bilateral cooperation was of mutual benefit and resulted in establishing joint activities, combatting work-related crime and improving working conditions.