Policy Response – the Case of Norway

• Dag Terje Andersens presentasjon (MS PowerPoint)
• Nettside for konferansen Decent Work

Thank you Mr. Chair,
Minister(s), Excellencies, Distinguished guests – ladies and gentlemen,

First of all, I must say that it is a pleasure to participate here today. This event marks a significant initiative on the path towards creating Decent Work for all. I would also like to express my gratitude to the organizers for making this possible.

I have the honour of opening the important session “Policy Response: Available tools and instruments”. First I would like to give a brief account for what we do nationally to secure Decent Work for all. Then I will look into the situation in a more global perspective.

Especially after the EU enlargement in 2004, Norway has experienced a rapidly growing labour migration from the new EU-member states in Eastern Europe. Foreign workers are considered a positive and necessary supplement to the Norwegian labour force.

Unfortunately, exploitation and abuse of workers, seem to be some of the negative effects of globalisation, also in Norway, where we have seen too many instances of unacceptable conditions in terms of health and safety precautions, wages and working hours, or so-called social dumping. 

As an answer to this, the Norwegian Prime Minister presented a specific Action Plan against social dumping on 1st of May 2006.  The aim of the Action Plan to reinforce regulations and monitoring work conditions in order to prevent exploitations, irregular employment, and to reduce unfair competition with national workers.

Some of the measures in the Action Plan are:

• Companies hiring services from a subcontractor are obliged to ensure that contractors and subcontractors comply with regulations concerning wages.
• Union officials are entitled to examine relevant documents concerning wages and working conditions that subcontractors are offering their employees
• Implementing ILO Convention No 94 concerning Labour Clauses in Public Contracts

The Action Plan has been developed through a tripartite process, and I would like to commend the Social Partners for their cooperation with the Government on this matter.

Both Norwegian workers and foreigners working in Norway benefit from a strong legal protection. However, the legal protection will work only if there are strong means to ensure that the working situation actually complies with the legislation. Therefore, The Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority plays an important role in preventing unacceptable conditions on the labour market. By giving orders and use coercive fines and even stop the undertakings, the Labour Inspection Authority works to prevent poor working conditions and low wages.

The results of The Action Plan have been very positive, but still we see too many examples of social dumping. We have therefore started to develop “Action Plan No. II”.

But for my Government, it is also important to get the big picture and open our eyes to a broader and more international perspective and then consider Norway’s role in this respect.

One main priority in Norwegian foreign policy is to promote a social and sustainable globalisation and as decisive part of this the Norwegian Government wishes to strengthen its promotion of worker’s rights internationally.

As mentioned by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of the Environment and International Development earlier today, the Government has decided to establish a strategy to strenghten the Norwegian effort to promote worker’s rights globally.

Now, I would like to unveil to you, the seven elements of the Government’s new strategy.  [hvis ikke strategien tidligere er nevnt: to strengthen the Norwegian effort to promote worker’s rights globally, in line with the ILO’s Decent Work Agenda.]

The strategy’s aim is to strengthen Norway’s promotion of worker’s rights globally, and to better coordinate this effort between our different ministries and policy areas. The Strategy will be based upon the following seven action points:

1. Norway will strengthen its efforts to promote workers’ rights on a global level.
    
2. Norway’s policy vis-à-vis the ILO will be further developed. You have all witnessed that we have started to fulfil this action point by increasing the financial contribution to the ILO for the next two years.
    
3. Promotion of worker’s rights in other countries will be given a higher priority in the fields of foreign policy and development aid policy.
    
4. Also when it comes to trade policy, Norway will be a driving force in the work to promote decent working conditions, inter alia in bilateral trade agreements and in multinational and regional agreements.
    
5. Ensuring worker’s rights in other countries will be an important aspect of the Government’s industrial policy and in the Government’s efforts to make Norwegian companies assume social responsibility.
    
6. A special effort will be made to strengthen the verification and enforcement of laws and regulations concerning labour standards.
    
7. Norwegian experiences will be utilized to improve working environment monitoring in other countries.

It is crucial for the Norwegian Government to have close dialogue with the Social Partners. The strategy is therefore to be further formulated and developed in cooperation with the Social Partners through the Norwegian ILO Committee.

We are determined to protect workers rights, to make employers behave in a socially responsible manner and to create Decent Work for all. I believe that it is not a coincidence that so many of the richest countries in the world recognize and have implemented ILO’s fundamental conventions, while so many countries where people have been denied these fundamental rights, remain among the poorest.

So, Mr. Chair, ladies and gentlemen, we are really looking forward to the outcome of today’s discussions.

Thank you for your attention.