Heimildin reports that worker unions contacted the company several times for cases of wage theft.
According to representatives of the unions, the company is regularly reported for various reasons, like for not paying salaries according to the collective agreements (kjarasamningar) and for using leveling of wages (jafnaðarkaup) to underpay workers.
A former worker says that the company did not pay the dues for his union, or contribute to his pension funds.
Another worker says his 20 hours of overtime were not paid. The company promised to instead make it up by giving him more vacation days or a percentage as bonus, which the unions said was not legal. He was also made to work a job that was not what he was hired for.
Another worker, a former manager, claims that the company does not want to follow the Icelandic laws and labour code.
The company in Iceland is a branch of the Portugese holding Indie Holding SA. ASÍ (Icelandic Federation of Labour) told Heimildin that after a visit they concluded that the company hires posted workers, working in Iceland but with foreign salaries and work conditions, in order to bypass Icelandic labour regulations. They claim that this is not acceptable and sent the case to the Directorate of Labour (Vinnumálastofnun).
Sources published from October and November 2023:
- https://heimildin.is/grein/19342/portugalskt-husabilafyrirtaeki-hefur-itrekad-brotid-gegn-rettindum-starfsmanna-sinna/
- https://heimildin.is/grein/19373/fyrrverandi-starfsmenn-indie-campers-thetta-er-svo-mikid-sukk-og-svinari
Indie Campers Iceland ehf. (kt:561118-1240); Real owner: Hugo Alexandre Masthias de Sá Ponte Oliveira (company registry)