In a new initiative to combat illegal work on Danish construction sites, Minister of Employment Ane Halsboe-Jørgensen (Socialdemokratiet) has announced plans to strengthen the powers of the Labour Inspectorate. This comes in light of existing orders often being ignored, which could endanger the safety of workers. The Minister has called for negotiations with all parties in the Danish Parliament to discuss and implement new, stricter sanctions against employers who violate the law. “It is unacceptable that the orders of the Labour Inspectorate are being ignored. We must ensure that our labor market is not only efficient but also safe for everyone,” Halsboe-Jørgensen stated to Politiken.
One of the proposed measures includes an increase in fines as well as a tightening of current orders, so that violations will have more noticeable consequences for the parties involved. This could range from financial sanctions to temporary construction halts, which will particularly impact larger contractors. The labor union 3F has expressed support for the stricter measures. Palle Bisgaard, negotiation secretary in 3F’s construction group, emphasized to Politiken that “a threat of a construction halt will have a far greater deterrent effect than a fine.”
These changes come in the wake of several cases of illegal work, including an incident in January where four Brazilians were deported from Denmark after being discovered during an inspection at a construction site in Kalundborg. With these new measures, the government hopes to create a more just and safe working environment on Danish construction sites. Negotiations are expected to begin soon, and it will be interesting to see what changes will be implemented to combat the issue of illegal work.