Damages to labour immigrants

The party programme wants to close the space that exists to exploit people's vulnerable position and strengthen labour rights and address disreputable companies; a right to damages for those who do not receive promised terms is a direct tool for that. The election manifesto also requires that no one should be dependent on the employer to stay, which is exactly the imbalance the damages right would counteract. The plan wants everyone who works in Sweden to have real wages and conditions.

• stop exploitation of the vulnerabledecisive»det utrymme som finns idag att exploatera människors utsatta« (party programme ↗)“the space that exists today to exploit people's vulnerable”
• strengthened labour rights against disreputable companies»Vi vill också stärka arbetsrätten och ta itu med oseriösa« (party programme ↗)“We also want to strengthen labour rights and address disreputable”
• no dependence on the employer»Ingen av oss ska behöva utstå rasism på arbetsplatsen eller vara beroende av arbetsgivaren för att få stanna i Sverige.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“None of us should have to endure racism at the workplace or be dependent on the employer to stay in Sweden.”
• real wages and conditions for everyone»för att gå mot ett Sverige där alla som arbetar har riktiga löner« (party programme ↗)“to move towards a Sweden where everyone who works has real wages”

The election manifesto states that today's labour immigration often leads to people being exploited and that it should never pay to gain competitive advantages by neglecting employees' rights. A right to compensation for labour migrants who do not receive the promised conditions is a direct tool against precisely this. The party programme's requirement for strong employment law legislation and the role of trade organisations in asserting employment conditions strengthens the conclusion.

• counter the exploitation of labourdecisive»Dessutom leder dagens arbetskraftsinvandring ofta till att människor utnyttjas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Moreover, today's labour immigration often leads to people being exploited.”
• strong employment law protects employees»arbetsrättslig lagstiftning behövs som skydd för de anställda.« (party programme ↗)“employment law legislation is needed as protection for employees.”
• assert employment conditions»organisationer är nödvändiga för att hävda de anställdas gemensamma intressen vad gäller« (party programme ↗)“organisations are necessary to assert employees' common interests regarding”
• decisive measures against workplace crime»Krafttag mot arbetslivskriminaliteten.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Decisive measures against workplace crime.”

The plan requires regulations that counter poor working conditions and unscrupulous employers as the price for an open framework for labour migration. A right to compensation for those not receiving the promised conditions is such a tool and follows from the commitment that migrant workers should have equally good opportunities as others on the labour market. The plan also values a functioning labour law with secure employees.

• regulation against unscrupulous employersdecisive»Ett öppet regelverk ställer samtidigt krav på nationella regleringar och internationella samarbeten för att motverka diskriminering, dåliga arbetsvillkor och oseriösa arbetsgivare.« (party programme ↗)“An open framework sets at the same time requirements for national regulations and international cooperation to counter discrimination, poor working conditions and unscrupulous employers.”
• equal conditions for migrant workers»Människor som arbetskraftsinvandrar ska ha lika goda förutsättningar på arbetsmarknaden som andra personer i Sverige.« (party programme ↗)“People who migrate for work should have equally good opportunities on the labour market as other people in Sweden.”
• functioning labour law»Vi vill värna en fungerande arbetsrätt och ge arbetstagare inflytande över både arbetets innehåll och arbetstiden.« (party programme ↗)“We want to value a functioning labour law and give employees influence over both work content and work time.”
• secure employees»Arbetstagare ska ha goda utvecklingsmöjligheter och känna sig delaktiga, trygga och respekterade.« (party programme ↗)“Employees should have good development opportunities and feel involved, secure and respected.”

The plan's core commitment is to value labour immigration and prevent the labour market from putting foreign-born people at a disadvantage. A right to damages when the employer does not provide the promised conditions targets the sanction at the one who broke the rules rather than the employee. The election manifesto's requirement that everyone should be able to get their case heard points in the same direction.

• no disadvantage for foreign-borndecisive»Arbetsmarknaden får inte systematiskt placera dem som har« (party programme ↗)“The labour market must not systematically place those who have”
• value labour immigration»Värna arbetskraftsinvandringen. För att svenska företag ska kunna konkurrera måste de ha möjlighet att snabbt hitta, rekrytera och anställa rätt kompetens.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Value labour immigration. For Swedish companies to be able to compete, they must have the ability to quickly find, recruit and employ the right competence.”
• right to have one's case heard»Alla som bor i Sverige ska kunna få sin sak prövad.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Everyone living in Sweden should be able to get their case heard.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan wants more to be done against abuse of the labour immigration system and that competency-based expulsions cease, that is, that workers should not bear the consequences of employers' mistakes. It also requires that individuals' opportunities to assert their rights increase and that public legal aid is strengthened. A right to damages for those who did not receive promised conditions aligns with these commitments.

• workers are not punisheddecisive»Kompetensutvisningarna av högkvalificerad arbetskraft måste få ett slut.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Competency-based expulsions of highly qualified workers must end.”
• measures against abuse»Mer behöver göras för att systemet för arbetskraftsinvandring inte ska missbrukas för till exempel svartjobb.« (party programme ↗)“More must be done to prevent the labour immigration system from being abused for, for example, undeclared work.”
• strengthened rights for the individual»Den enskildes möjligheter att hävda sina rättigheter gentemot myndigheterna måste öka.« (party programme ↗)“Individuals' opportunities to assert their rights against government agencies must increase.”
• strengthened legal aid»Den allmänna rättshjälpen ska stärkas.« (party programme ↗)“Public legal aid shall be strengthened.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan establishes that whoever caused damage as far as possible shall compensate the injured party financially and that society sides with the injured. It also forbids using a person as a means to something else, which is precisely what a broken wage commitment against a migrant worker entails, and the plan seeks good employment security for all employees. A right to damages for whoever does not receive the promised conditions therefore follows from the plan.

• financial compensation to the injureddecisive»förövaren gottgör brottsoffer ekonomiskt för det lidande« (party programme ↗)“the perpetrator compensates the crime victim financially for the suffering”
• person must not be used as means»Ingen annan människa får äga henne eller på ett kränkande sätt använda« (party programme ↗)“No other person is allowed to own her or in an offensive manner use”
• society sides with the exposed»att samhället ställer sig på brottsoffrets sida.« (party programme ↗)“that society sides with the crime victim.”
• employment security for all»God anställningstrygghet för alla arbetstagare ska« (party programme ↗)“Good employment security for all employees shall”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan does not address compensation to labour migrants, but it states that the legal system shall resolve disputes and uphold contracts and that crimes shall be followed by noticeable compensation. The plan also wants that employees not be harmed by unjust competence deportations when something has gone wrong. Inferred from this is a right to compensation for those who do not receive the promised conditions.

• courts uphold contractsdecisive»Rättsväsendet fyller också en viktig roll för det civila« (party programme ↗)“The legal system also fulfils an important role for the civil”
• the employee shall not be punished»Sätta stopp för kompetensutvisningarna« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Put a stop to competence deportations”
• noticeable compensation»stränga straff och kännbara skadestånd« (party programme ↗)“severe punishments and noticeable compensation”
• stronger compensation rights»Dubbla skadestånden till brottsoffer« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Double compensation to crime victims”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The election manifesto's line is that the Aliens Act shall be tightened to the strictest possible level and that labour immigration to occupations that can be filled by domestic labour shall be stopped, while social attraction factors for non-citizens shall be reviewed. A special right to compensation for labour immigrants would, conversely, make it more attractive to come here and stay. The plan wants to combat fraud with residence permits, but that commitment is directed at the abuse, not at new rights for the group.

• strictest possible Aliens Actdecisive»Skärpa reglerna i utlänningslagen till striktas möjliga nivå enligt EU-rätten« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Tighten the rules in the Aliens Act to the strictest possible level according to EU law”
• reduced attraction factors»Sociala attraktionsfaktorer som exempelvis bidragssystem behöver ses över för att begränsa icke-medborgares rätt till välfärden.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Social attraction factors such as benefit systems need to be reviewed to limit non-citizens' access to welfare.”
• limited labour immigration»Stoppa arbetskraftsinvandring till yrken som kan tillgodoses av inhemsk arbetskraft« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Stop labour immigration to occupations that can be filled by domestic labour”
• fraud shall be combated»Korruption, fusk och handel med både uppehållstillstånd och människor är vanligt förekommande.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Corruption, fraud and trafficking in both residence permits and people are common.”