Itinera faces allegations of poor wages impacting projects in Norway

The Italian company Itinera is involved in constructing the New OUH super hospital and the Storstrøm Bridge in Denmark. However, Itinera has faced multiple allegations concerning poor wages and working conditions for foreign workers on the New OUH project. These issues have now impacted the company’s interests in Norway, where the Norwegian Road Administration, Statens Vegvesen, has decided not to consider Itinera for a significant multi-billion kroner project that entails building 21.5 kilometers of roads, tunnels, and bridges.

The decision to exclude Itinera is primarily attributed to the company’s failure to adhere to agreements on its Danish projects. Kjell Inge Davik, the expansion director at Statens Vegvesen, emphasized that all firms wishing to participate in their tenders must undergo thorough scrutiny to ensure that employees receive appropriate pay and working conditions according to Norwegian labor laws.

In response, Itinera has lodged a complaint and is set to bring the case before a court in Oslo this Monday, contesting the exclusion as unjust. This legal challenge has resulted in a pause on the tender process for the project.

Separately, investigations have revealed that Italian worker Pasquale Cozzolino was underpaid while performing plumbing work on the New OUH. Despite working many more hours than recorded, discrepancies between his timesheets and logged entry and exit times on-site indicated wage theft. Itinera’s Danish communications representative has confirmed ongoing legal proceedings but stated that no comments will be made until the matter in Norway is resolved.