On 7 March 2005 the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority published a report on the working environment situation of non-western immigrant workers in Norway. It argues that lack of training and information is an important obstacle to a healthy work environment among this group of workers.
On 7 March 2005 the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority (Arbeidstilsynet) published a report on the working environment situation of non-western immigrant workers in Norway. The report finds that non-western immigrant workers seldom receive essential training and information about work environment issues, and are also more likely than their indigenous colleagues to have information withheld from them, either because of language barriers or because of direct discrimination. The report is based on the findings of a joint project carried out by a number of regional branches of the Inspection Authority.
The work environment situation of non-western immigrant workers has only sporadically been subject to examination, and often only as part of more general studies (NO0301103F). There is however increasing awareness among Labour inspectors about the work environment problems facing this group of workers in Norwegian working life. Thus the project is an attempt by the Inspection Authority to establish a tool by which to identify and cater for the needs of this group of workers. As such it was integrated in to ordinary inspection activities of the authority, and involved over 140 indebt interviews among non-western workers, health and safety officers, and employers in 46 companies.
In the project a number of topics are elaborated, on the basis of which the situation of the workers are assessed, and breaches to the Act relating to worker protection and working environment (Arbeidsmiljøloven, AML) are identified. In its report the inspectorate finds that many non-western immigrants more often than indigenous employees find themselves without written work contracts. Thus many non-western immigrants feel insecure and are often worried about their jobs, something which finds support in other earlier studies. The report also shows that a large number of companies lack the procedures needed for involving employees in areas that are of material importance to their physical and psychological health. The result of this is that many employees with a non-western background are not familiar with the health and safety work carried out in the company, nor the role and existence of the health- and safety officer. An important reason for this is the fact that many companies admit that they lack sufficient procedures for training and education in relation to work environment issues. Lack of training with regards to the use of equipment and information on the hazards of work may lead to serious accidents and injuries. Non-western immigrant workers, according to the report, are also more prone to experience harassment at work, although the extent of this problem is not known. Immigrant workers are less prone to report on negative behaviour, and are more ready to accept abuse in fear of losing their jobs.
The main recommendations as to how the Inspectorate may tackle the problems are all concerned with communication. In its work the Inspection Authority must direct efforts at facilitating training and information in the enterprises concerned, and rights and duties in this regard must be communicated to both employees and employers. To this end standardized measures are not always sufficient, according to the report, and information and education should be adapted to the particular needs and language abilities of employee(s) in question.
References:
http://www.arbeidstilsynet.no/nyheter/visnyhet.html?id=530
http://www.arbeidstilsynet.no/regelverk/lover/pdf/7529.pdf
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