Swedes fail Norway and cause crisis for restaurant and service industry – NRK Innlandet – Local news, TV and radio
– It is a very frustrating situation. We certification stand and knock on the door. Then there is no one who can stand on and work, we do not have enough people.
General manager at the restaurant, waffle room and pub Knettsetra in Trysil, Bjarte Wigdel, is concerned about future operations. Although the borders are open again and controls are clear, the much-needed Swedish workers have not returned.
At many restaurants at the border, drastic measures must now be taken.
– It is difficult to have the desired opening hours. Many have to close a few days a week, because you only have staff for certain days. These are tough and real problems.
Hotel director: – Lost a lot of valuable expertise
Also a bit further south, by the spa hotel Rømskog, you struggle with the Swedish catch. Hotel director Anne Brodin Söderström explains:
– For us who are close to the border, it is just as important with Swedish labor as Norwegian. But the closed borders made working conditions very difficult. And it is not just us in the industry who still notice it today.
She adds:
– We have lost a lot of valuable expertise. And it is a long time until the border between Norway and Sweden will be just a line on the map.
Mental barriers: – Very serious
Trond Erik Grundt, general manager at The border service, a collaboration between Norway and Sweden, says many Swedes have become skeptical of working in Norway after the corona.
– There is a very growing skepticism among Swedish workers after the pandemic. There are still some mental barriers left. We know it’s very serious.
Grundt says that Swedes have experienced a “we and them” mentality in Norway, and that they have felt alienated and discriminated against.
It cannot be repaired overnight, and affects the choice of workplace. And it is not just the service industry that is affected, says Grundt.
– In the health and care sector, it is very lagging behind. When you can get a job in your home country, and there has been so much looting and hefty travel across the border, you choose the safe at home in your country of residence.
He believes that there is now a communication challenge to tell that Norway and the world have become more normal again.
NHO: Definitely serious
It was SVT who first wrote about the matter. The management at Kongsvinger Hospital also notices the failing recruitment of Swedish labor.
Significantly fewer Swedes are now applying for temporary positions at the hospital, confirms hospital director Jane Moe Castro.
– There is a very big difference. We always, or at least often, had Swedish applicants. We are so close to the border. Now it seems like it’s harder, they have not been here this year. So we have to start a bit again, she says to SVT.
NHO also says they are serious about the shortage of Swedish labor.
– It’s definitely serious. It will be a great challenge in the future to get enough and competent labor, says regional director of NHO Innlandet Jon Kristiansen.
He emphasizes:
– The need is extra great in the hotel, tourism and restaurant industry. But we need skilled workers in all industries.
Missing 20 chefs for the winter season
The regional leader is prepared that it will take time:
– It is a complex picture. There is a slowness after the pandemic, and a delay in the system when it comes to getting ID numbers. The foreigners have also got another job in their home country. This will simply take time.
But at the restaurants in Trysil, you can not just take the time to help. The winter season is approaching, and for many it will be a battle against the clock.
As Bjarte Wigdel, general manager at Knettsetra, says:
– It is a very acute situation. For Trysil’s part, 20 chefs are needed to start the winter season. It is very difficult to plan for the winter when you do not have labor.