Kirsti Leirtrø (Labour), a member of Parliament’s Transport Committee, is behind this reader post.
Kirsti Leirtrø.
picture: Ina Marie Holseth
There are now new trucking rules that make it more difficult to manage junk carriers with poorly paid drivers. New common rules for European countries prevent low-cost rogue players from driving freely in Norway.
The government supports the introduction of an EU mobility package for Norway. One of the main points is that there will be better and more serious working conditions in the industry. It is good for traffic safety on Norwegian roads. And good for our work life.
Scrap carriers have always had significant competitive advantages through lower wages, slave-like labor contracts, and extensive coastal navigation activities.
Foreign drivers are finally given the right to return home every three or four weeks, and the employer must pay for the return trip. The driver should also avoid sleeping in the cabin during the legal weekly rest, and the employer must, of course, pay for proper accommodation. The new rules also state that the driver’s salary must follow the level in the countries where the transfer takes place.
The transport industry is large, and there has long been concern that poor wages and working conditions for foreign players will spill over into working life in Norway. Now this risk is significantly reduced. The new rules are good news for everyone who works daily in transportation. This is also good news for the serious carriers we have in Norway, the ones we have the most.
Kirsti Leirtrø (Labour), member of Parliament’s Transport Committee