Advertisement

Young Swedes warned of Norway guest work

TT/The Local/og
TT/The Local/og - [email protected]
Young Swedes warned of Norway guest work
Many Swedes head to Norway seeking Norwegian kroner. Photo: Shutterstock

Experts have warned young Swedes about the risks of heading to Norway as a guest worker, with many Norwegian employers breaking the rules to save money.

Advertisement

Norway has been a popular destination for jobless Swedes ever since it made a fortune in oil. Oslo is particularly popular among young Swedes, especially in the hospitality branch, due to the bigger pay packets and the city's close proximity to Sweden.
 
"Many people in Oslo's restaurant scene have used young people who aren't aware of their rights," Ida Tolgensbakk, a PhD candidate at Oslo University, told the TT news agency.
 
Tolgensbakk, who has researched Swedish guest workers for years, explained that typical examples of Swedes being mistreated included unpaid trial shifts, jobs without written contracts, lower salaries than the Norwegians and different working conditions. 
 
Norwegian unions have also chimed in on the warnings. Torbjörn Ness of the Norwegian union LO has been actively informing Swedes of their rights in the job market. 
 
"In the meetings we've had so far this year with young Swedes, we've noticed that there are truly a lot more Swedes working in worse conditions than their Norwegian colleagues," he told Sveriges Radio. 
 
Some Norwegian towns have made headlines in the past for paying Swedes to come over to work, while employees in other fields including the medical industry have been lured over by more attractive working conditions. 
 

More

Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

See Also