Working toward a solution for foreign workers

The number of foreign workers who run into serious complications in the Faroese labour market is on the rise.

This problem was highlighted last week by Sonja Jógvansdóttir, the chairwoman of Samtak, an umbrella body for trade unions, who said that foreign workers have nowhere to turn when they run in to difficulties.

“We as a trade union have been pushing for talks with the government about this problem, but there doesn’t seem to be much interest in finding a solution,” she said. 

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Prime Minister Aksel V. Johannesen acknowledges that there is plenty of room for improvement in this area, but he denies that the government is not taking the matter seriously.

“I understand the criticism – there are some obvious shortcomings in this area,” he said.

“We need to solve these problems because people who come here to work deserve to be treated properly.”

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He added that the government has implemented some measures to ensure that all workers who arrive from abroad can feel safe in the Faroese labour market.

These measures include new ways of ensuring that all migrant workers are given adequate information about their rights and obligations in the Faroese labour market. The plan is to offer such information in languages other than English.

“We will also strengthen our communications with the trade unions to make sure that all workers are informed about their rights and duties and the importance of joining a trade union,” he said.

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“Employers who don’t respect the rights of their foreign workers will be banned from hiring staff from abroad.”

Also under consideration is a deposit system for employers which ensures that foreign workers can afford to travel back home if they end up in difficulties here in the Faroes.

Read the Faroese version of this article here.

More Faroese News in English.