Car company in North Zealand charged with exploiting 18 foreign mechanics
Two men and two companies linked to a car group in North Zealand are charged with human exploitation of 18 foreign mechanics over four years.
Charges: mechanics received only 7,517 kroner from a salary of 38,000 kroner
The Copenhagen Post reports that a criminal case concerning serious labour exploitation of 18 foreign mechanics is to be heard at the Court in Hillerød. The defendants are two men and two companies linked to a car group in North Zealand.
According to TV 2 Kosmopol, the prosecution alleges that the workers – from India and Sri Lanka, among other countries – were subjected to systematic exploitation over a four-year period.
The charge sheet establishes that the mechanics were obliged to work overtime and on weekends without additional pay. They were also allegedly prohibited from joining a trade union, which cut them off from collective representation in matters concerning employment and working conditions.
The prosecution further alleges that the mechanics were threatened with dismissal and deportation to their home countries if they complained about working or living conditions.
TV 2 Kosmopol reports that the mechanics' registered monthly salary was 38,000 kroner, but that they actually received only 7,517 kroner after tax.
The Court in Hillerød must now determine whether the defendants are guilty. The court must also decide whether approximately 4.1 million kroner should be confiscated from the defendants in connection with the alleged exploitation.
The case is brought under a provision on human exploitation, which was inserted into the penal code in June 2022. The provision is designed to address serious cases of labour exploitation that do not meet the legal definition of human trafficking. The defendants' criminal liability has not yet been established.
Source: The Copenhagen Post