New Nordic network to combat fraud in the labour market

Illegal working and regulatory fraud not only harm individuals, but are a serious societal problem that distorts competition and increases insecurity in the labour market. This is the opinion of the Nordic ministers responsible for the labour market. 

For several years, the Nordic countries have worked together to clamp down on illegal working practices, specifically through joint workplace inspections and the exchange of information. So far, co-operation has taken the form of shorter EU-funded projects, and occasionally included the Baltic countries.

When the Nordic ministers for the labour market met in Reykjavik, they decided to establish a formal Nordic-Baltic network with funding from the Nordic Council of Ministers. 

“Establishing a network against illegal working practices that is entitled to basic funding from the Nordic Council of Ministers creates a stable foundation for long-term and cross-border efforts on an issue that is a serious societal problem. This will hopefully ensure better conditions for co-operation, joint action, and access to information and services, as well as increased capacity and knowledge,” says Johan Pehrson, Sweden’s Minister for Employment and Integration. 

The network will consist of officials working at the occupational health and supervisory authorities of these countries, and will organise cross-border inspections and facilitate the sharing of knowledge and information in the Nordic and Baltic regions.