Government launches accreditation scheme for cleaning firms

Cleaning companies in Norway now have to receive accreditation from the authorities before being allowed to trade. New rules were introduced in autumn of 2012. The Labour Inspectorate said its accreditation scheme’s main goal was to improve the health, working environment and safety of workers in the cleaning sector. Companies using the services of cleaning firms without the proper accreditation risk legal liability. Both employer and employee groups welcomed the move.

Background

In May 2012, the Norwegian Government approved a new regulation (in Norwegian) for the accreditation of cleaning companies. The accreditation scheme came into force in September 2012, and requires all companies providing cleaning services to Norwegian companies to be approved by the Labour Inspectorate (Arbeidstilsynet).

Key requirements

There are a number of conditions that must be met to qualify for accreditation. Cleaning companies must:

• have occupational health provision;

• have a health and safety policy;

• have written employment contracts;

• comply with collective agreements made generally applicable within the industry;

• have arrangements that provide financial compensation for occupational injuries;

• ensure that all employees are issued with an identity card, issued on behalf of the Department of Labour.

Cleaning businesses must also comply with a mandatory duty to register their companies. They must appear in the register of business enterprises and the VAT-register.

The Labour Inspectorate has the responsibility for keeping a register of accredited cleaning companies. Businesses using the services of a cleaning firm are being urged to check whether or not their service provider is listed in this register. The new rules say enterprises can only use registered cleaning companies.

From 1 December 2012, anyone not complying with the provisions could face legal sanctions. The sanctions could be imposed on a company providing services without accreditation, as well as on the business using an unregistered company.

Social partner reaction

The accreditation scheme was introduced following tripartite cooperation between the social partner organisations in the cleaning industry and the national authorities. Former Minister of Labour Hanne Bjurstrøm said the scheme would create decent working conditions for employees in the industry and guarantee fair competition between all companies in the sector.

Both the National Federation of Service Industries (NHO Service) and the Norwegian Union of General Workers ( NAF), the biggest employer and employee organisations in the industry, have welcomed the scheme. NHO Service said the scheme would help clean up the industry and put low-grade businesses out of action.

The accreditation scheme in the cleaning sector is far more comprehensive than the accreditation scheme introduced for temporary work agencies in 2008 (NO0808039I).

In the summer of 2012, the Labour Inspectorate issued a letter to 5,000 companies containing information about the scheme, and by December 2012 a total of 2,700 companies had applied to be accredited.

NHO Service has said all its new applicants must be accredited before they are allowed admission to membership of the employer association. By 1 December 2012, all existing member companies of NHO Service had applied for accreditation.

Alsos Kristin, Fafo