Cooperation on combating work related crime
The project was dedicated to combating unfair practices in the workplace, i.e. so-called whistleblowing. Unfair practices were deemed to include illegal employment and other illegal activities, in particular the non-payment of taxes and health and social insurance contributions for employees and non-compliance with the Labour Code with respect to working conditions. The term whistleblowing refers to the notification of such unfair practices by the employee, i.e. the provision of information to the public institutions concerned with unfair practices in the workplace. This issue has become increasingly important in a number of EU countries over the last ten years, especially in connection with the migration of labour from economically less developed EU countries. The following European countries were involved in the project – Norway (coordinator), the Czech Republic, Finland, Croatia, Latvia, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Greece and the United Kingdom. The aim of the Czech part of the project was to compile a study that described the situation in the Czech Republic, especially with concern to legislation that serves to protect employees who report unfair practices in the workplace, those public institutions to which employees can turn if they wish to report unfair practices on the part of the employer and the roles of the various social partners in this connection.