From Iceland — Fish Factory Foreman Accused Of Charging Immigrants To Work

Fish Factory Foreman Accused Of Charging Immigrants To Work

Published October 22, 2013

A group of Polish immigrants has accused the foreman of a fish factory in Bolungarvík of charging them each 1,000 Euros for working there.
In a letter sent to the news site Bæjarins Bestu and the Ísafjörður police, 20 Poles say that this has possibly been going on with the knowledge of the owners of the Jakob Valgeir ehf. fish company where they were employed.
Guðbjartur Flosason, the production manager of the company, denies the allegations, saying that the foreman in question was not responsible for hiring anyone, but simply helped others find work.
Lárus Benediktsson, the chairperson of the Labour Unions and Seamen of Bolungarvík, told RÚV he believes authorities ought to get involved.
“If this proves true, that it’s like that here, then it’s a tragedy,” he told reporters. “This must be uprooted. I encourage the Poles who signed this letter to press charges – then it will be investigated and the truth of the matter will be brought to light.”
Police are not investigating the matter at the time of this writing.

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