Wage manipulation sparks outrage as Tekno Fire suspended from major projects in Denmark

The issue of wage manipulation among workers on major public construction projects, such as hospitals and bridges, has sparked outrage. Michael Severinsen, a negotiator from a construction union, expressed his dismay over these violations of regulations revealed in a recent documentary. He termed the situation as a “scandal” and highlighted the systematic illegal fraud occurring in public works.

The Albanian firm Tekno Fire has been suspended from three significant public construction projects, including the Storstrøm Bridge and two university hospitals. This decision came after the Italian construction giant Itinera, upon investigation, chose to terminate its collaboration with Tekno Fire, resulting in around 270 Albanian workers being sent home.

Calls for stricter regulations have been made, as Severinsen emphasized the need for better laws to prevent exploitation by unscrupulous companies. The total budget for the projects, all led by Itinera, amounts to approximately 18 billion kroner. Public authorities are treating this matter seriously, insisting that acceptable working conditions must be upheld on their sites.

A documentary titled “On the State’s Dime” has highlighted that Albanian workers are required to repay portions of their salaries to Tekno Fire each month, despite being hired under an arrangement that mandates a minimum annual salary. Six employees reported this practice as systematic across the workforce.

Additionally, all three projects have already been facing significant delays, with recent reports indicating that the Odense super hospital will experience a further two-year setback, nearing fines of 400 million kroner for the Italian contractor. The construction leadership did not provide an interview but acknowledged that it is too early to assess the impact of the suspension on the overall projects.

Overall, the suspension of Tekno Fire is not expected to drastically affect the progress of the Storstrøm Bridge, as the workforce primarily consists of electricians among a much larger team. Efforts to reach Tekno Fire for comment on the suspension have been unsuccessful.