Young Swedes have been told that being a guest worker in Norway may not be as idealistic as it seems because many bosses are breaking employment rules to save money.
The western neighbour has developed into an extremely popular option for jobless Swedes because of its booming economy. The capital, Oslo, is the most popular destination, particularly in its hospitality sector, as wages are high and it is so close to Sweden.
However, Oslo University’s Ida Tolgensbakk, who has carried out a thorough research on Swedish guest workers over the past few years, said that many people in the city’s restaurant scene have been employing young Swedes who are not fully aware of their rights.
She pointed out that among the ways Swedes were being mistreated included jobs without written contracts, unpaid trial shifts, and different working conditions and lower salaries than their Norwegian counterparts.
Meanwhile, Norwegian union LO’s Torbjorn Ness has been holding meetings with Swedes to inform them of their rights in Norway’s job market. He said that in the meetings they had held this year it has been drawn to their attention that many Swedes were having to suffer worse working conditions than their Norwegian co-workers.
In recent years, some Norwegian towns have lured Swedes over the border with financial packages just for travelling, while workers in other fields such as the medical sector have been drawn by the better working conditions.