Legal aid must be strengthened

Collection of laws

The state budget is under consideration by the Parliament and we have been consulted by the Labour and Social Affairs Committee

Secretary General Ingrid Rosendorf Joys and lawyer Maria Reiten Hindahl presented our input to the committee, which was about strengthening efforts for victims of social dumping and workplace crime. Read what was said from their side:

Caritas works nationwide to prevent and assist people who have been exploited in working life. We have seen a sharp increase in inquiries in recent years, especially within wage theft.

So far this year, we have received 919 cases for our legal aid initiative, where we have provided assistance in 120 exploitation cases and identified two possible victims of human trafficking.

The budget proposal for 2025 proposes an increase of NOK 18 million for the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority, which we support. The Labour Inspection Authority plays a key role in the fight against workplace crime. We are also pleased that Fair Play Bygg is being strengthened, as they are a key partner in uncovering workplace crime.

Lawyer in Caritas 's legal aid team Maria Reiten Hindahl and Secretary General Ingrid Rosendorf Joys at the Storting in a hearing on the national budget on Thursday, October 17. Photo: H. Nundal/Caritas Norway
Lawyer in Caritas 's legal aid team Maria Reiten Hindahl and Secretary General Ingrid Rosendorf Joys at the Storting in a hearing on the national budget on Thursday, October 17. Photo: H. Nundal/Caritas Norway

A great deal of work has been done recently to uncover workplace crime. It is now urgent to follow up the proposal for free legal aid in cases of wage theft, and to introduce a scheme where the state takes over the recovery of the obvious cases of wage theft. This is crucial to ensure legal certainty for victims and to help maintain trust in society.

Furthermore, we are concerned that low-threshold assistance measures for victims are strengthened. Despite the fact that combating workplace crime is a priority area, little funding is spent on assisting employees who are exploited. Caritas wants earmarked funds for assistance measures.

Victims of workplace crime are referred to us by the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority and Fair Play bygg, as we have extensive experience of dealing with their complex assistance needs. These needs include everything from information and counseling, legal assistance, help in dealing with the housing situation, help in finding new work, to Norwegian language training or social support.

The existing help services are underfunded and capacity is stretched. At times, we have had to stop accepting new cases.

Strengthening assistance measures for victims is crucial. Those who visit Caritas often have important information that the authorities need to catch criminal employers. Many of them have limited digital skills, speak neither Norwegian nor English, and have little trust in public authorities. For this group to be able to report incidents to the police or the Labour Inspection Authority, it is essential that they receive support and assistance in a language they understand and from organizations they trust. Caritas is such an organization and we assisted in 29 different languages last year.

The government itself has recognized the need for assistance measures, and has promised to strengthen grants to organizations that assist vulnerable workers. This is in line with the 2022 action plan against social dumping and workplace crime. We ask for recognition of the importance of the voluntary sector and adequate funding so that we can continue to support vulnerable workers who need it most. There is a need for such a grant scheme to be put in place immediately.

In addition, it is important to strengthen the preventive work carried out by civil society. We are concerned that such grant schemes are made long-term. Long-term funding is a prerequisite for securing full-time positions, contributing to quality and continuity for both users and employees, and ensuring that we retain the expertise we need.