Response to interpellation 2023/24:770 on crime in the labor market within the taxi industry
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
L argues that crime in the working life threatens companies and society 1 and that authorities must cooperate 1. L has decided on an additional directive to analyze the transport industry 1 and argues that one must wait for the analysis to find the right measures 2. L considers that the problem with illegal taxi activity has spread over a longer period 3 and that the government is taking measures through resource reinforcement in the justice system as well as by removing confidentiality barriers 3. S argues that the deregulation has gone too far 4 and that illegal taxi activity harms serious actors 5. S considers that the government must act immediately 4 and present concrete reforms 5.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
Statsrådet Paulina Brandberg (L)
Mr. Speaker! Serkan Köse has asked me how I and the government intend to intensify our efforts against crime in the working life within the taxi industry, in order to ensure healthy and fair competition where serious taxi companies can operate and where the public can enjoy accessible and safe transport services.
I would like to thank Serkan Köse for an important question.
Workplace crime poses a threat to Swedish companies, employees, and society as a whole. It creates great insecurity, distorts competition, and contributes to the criminal economy. In order to work together in the best possible way against fraud, workplace crime, and organized crime, as well as to preserve knowledge and experience, it is required that authorities with different areas of responsibility cooperate.
As I reported in the response to a written question to Serkan Köse on March 13, 2024, the government decided on February 22, 2024, an additional directive to the Delegation against labor market crime, which among other things means that the delegation shall analyze specific labor market criminal schemes in the transport industry, which includes the taxi industry, and propose effective measures to counter labor market crime (dir. 2024:26).
The assignment shall be reported in connection with the delegation's final report on 28 February 2025. I look forward to receiving the delegation's report.
In addition to this, I would like to point out to the interpellor that the work against crime in the working life is also an important part of the government's strategy against organized crime.
Serkan Köse (S)
Mr. Speaker! Thank you to the Minister for the answer!
According to the latest figures from the Transport Agency, there are today approximately 7,500 taxi companies and just over 75,000 people with taxi driver licenses in Sweden. These figures, Mr. Speaker, confirm that the taxi industry plays a crucial role in public utility. It is important for people's everyday lives to function and for public services such as travel services, medical transport, and school transport to be able to be maintained.
Mr. Speaker! Since the deregulation of the taxi industry in 1990, we have however seen several problems that negatively affect both citizens and taxi drivers and serious taxi companies. The deregulation has gone too far. Various application services ruin things for serious actors by not taking employer responsibility, which leads to dumped prices and worsened working conditions.
Mr. Speaker! Unfortunately, we also have a black taxi activity in Sweden that has become an ever-increasing problem. It harms the legitimate taxi industry and worsens the availability of taxi services, especially in rural areas. This is not only a matter of unfair competition but also a deeply rooted problem linked to labor-related crime where lawbreakers avoid taxes and employer contributions as well as undermine labor law conditions.
Mr. Speaker! The black taxi activity leads to significant economic losses for serious actors within the taxi industry. It reduces their opportunities to offer high-quality services and undermines the public's access to a variety of transport options. Furthermore, it restricts, as I mentioned, public authorities' ability to offer important services such as school transport, special transport, and medical transport.
For example, in Luleå and the surrounding areas, the illegal taxi activity has become so widespread that serious taxi companies, according to Taxiförbundet, run the risk of being wiped out. Evening traffic has already been discontinued in Kalix and Älvsbyn, and it is difficult to get a taxi during the evening in Arjeplog and Arvidsjaur. The alternative offered to customers is illegal black taxis, which shows how serious the problem has become.
In the autumn, TV4's current affairs program Kalla fakta showed in a frightening way the long-standing challenges and problems within the taxi industry. The investigation showed that app-based taxi services are overrepresented in the statistics on sexual offenses. Furthermore, the investigation revealed that there are deficiencies in the control system at Transportstyrelsen.
Svenska Taxiförbundet has stated that they are open to working together with Transportstyrelsen, the police, and prosecutors to develop preventive measures and investigate whether legislative changes are required in the matter. We Social Democrats welcome that.
It is important, Mr. Speaker, that passengers feel safe when they use the taxi industry. No passenger should have to worry about being subjected to a crime when getting into a taxi. It must be a matter of course. At the same time, it is important that the taxi industry and the responsible authorities work together to not let a marginal group discredit an entire industry.
The Minister mentioned in his response that the Delegation against labor market crime has received additional directives to analyze specific labor market criminal schemes within the transport sector, including the taxi industry. But to wait until February 2025 for a final report, is that the Minister's answer to the problems we have within the industry? We need action now. Measures are needed now. The Government must act proactively and immediately implement measures to combat labor market crime within the taxi industry.
Mr. Speaker! Greater coordination is required between the police, the Transport Agency and the Swedish Tax Agency in order to effectively be able to stop illegal taxi activities.
Therefore, I ask the Minister whether the government intends to stop illegal taxi activities so that serious taxi companies can operate in sound and fair competition. Shall we wait for the answer until February 2025?
Statsrådet Paulina Brandberg (L)
Mr. Speaker! To begin with, I want to say that I share the interpellant's view that the taxi industry is an incredibly important industry for people to get their lives to work. It is of course extra important for all those people who live in places where one does not have good access to municipal means of transport, which is the reality for many people.
We naturally need to be able to protect the taxi industry and all those taxi drivers who want to perform a serious job and run the risk of being competed out by the widespread black taxi activity. There is great consensus on that.
In addition to the problem of serious taxi companies being competed out, we have what the interpellator also mentions and which I am very pleased the interpellator mentions, namely the issue of safety.
I have myself, in my previous role as a prosecutor, handled cases where rape has occurred in just black taxi cars. This is a problem that risks particularly affecting women, who become very vulnerable when they get into a black taxi car. It is another argument for why this is an issue that we need to take very seriously.
From the government's side, we have, as mentioned, given additional directives to the Delegation against labor crime, where we specifically mention the transport industry as an industry that we think we need to look extra closely at, simply because it is an industry where we see a widespread shadow society that hits hard both against competition and against individual workers.
The interpellator also mentions this regarding the gig economy. This is not necessarily a part of the black taxi activity, but in this economy, it is important that we have a taxi industry that functions at all. There, we need to see that we now also have actors in the taxi industry who operate from digital platforms.
The EU has recently adopted a new platform directive, which the government will adopt, to ensure that we have good forms of employment, that those who drive taxis within that part of the business do so with correct working conditions, and that it is clear what employment status one has when working within that part of the taxi industry. Even though it is a part of the white taxi industry, it is of course an important part of the work that we ensure that everyone who works within this industry has good working conditions.
The Government does not intend to wait until 2025 to take action. As we have said, we have given these directives to the delegation, but one of the most important pieces of the puzzle when it comes to tackling crime in the labor market is agency cooperation.
That is why I am very pleased that from July 1, which is in just a few weeks, we are removing many of the secrecy barriers that today constitute extreme obstacles in the work for effective agency cooperation, for example when it comes to tackling crime in the labor market.
Serkan Köse (S)
Mr. Speaker! Thank you to the Minister for the answer and for the commitment!
Again: These are important issues. If we are to combat crime in the working life within the taxi industry, it requires, as stated, stronger cooperation between different authorities as well as more preventive measures and more resources.
Illegal taxi activities do not only undermine the economic stability in the industry but also worsen the employees' conditions and safety. That was also the Minister's point. This has escalated, and I mean that it is time for the government to point out with the whole hand how to tackle the problems that exist within this industry.
Let us look at Denmark, Mr. Speaker! In Denmark, since 2017, a taxi law has been introduced that sets requirements for annual inspections of taxis, mandatory collection of GPS-based driving data for better tax monitoring, as well as that all taxis must be equipped with taximeters and seat sensors. That is to say, when one sits in the taxi, these sensors start.
These regulations, Mr. Speaker, have strengthened the foundation for tax monitoring and improved the control over taxi services. Since the introduction of the law, there has been a significant change in the Danish taxi market. Among other things, several app companies have chosen to leave the market due to the strict regulations. This shows how effective strict regulations can be to combat illegal taxi activities and labor crime and improve working conditions within this industry. I mean that the government should look at the Danish model and see if one can be inspired by what is happening in Denmark.
I met last week representatives for the Danish taxi companies and for the Norwegian, Finnish and Swedish taxi companies, including Taxi Stockholm. There is very much to learn from what is happening, among other things, in Denmark.
I wonder again if the Minister can say anything more about how they intend to handle the development we are seeing within the taxi industry. Svenska Taxiförbundet and the serious taxi companies are crying out for the politicians to be able to act. They expect the Minister and the government to take action on what is happening now in the Swedish labor market.
The unserious and black taxi market is knocking out the large serious taxi companies. They are losing market shares, but they are also losing customers. We see what the development looks like. Many choose to travel with the app companies, where a trip to a suburb costs 150 kronor. If you travel with Taxi Stockholm, it costs at least 500 kronor.
We see what is happening today in the Swedish market and above all within the taxi industry. I wonder what the government intends to do to stop the development. Are there any concrete proposals from the government's and the minister's side on how to combat work-related crime within the taxi industry and also create some order and clarity in the industry?
Statsrådet Paulina Brandberg (L)
Mr. Speaker! I want to begin by saying that it is always very positive to look at how other countries solve the problems that we see both in other countries and here in Sweden. The Svarttaxi issue is not unique to Sweden. It is, of course, something we see in other countries. It is always positive to look at how other countries solve the same problems that we have in Sweden.
Now we have given the Delegation on labor market crime additional directives that specifically target this industry. We must, of course, wait and see what measures the delegation proposes so that we can find the sharpest measures that work specifically in Sweden. It would be irresponsible not to await their analysis where they look specifically at the industry.
The delegation has received directives to look at the transport industry but also to find regulated professions where we see an abuse of professional titles. We know that taxi drivers are a regulated profession. Even there, there is something that the delegation has to look at.
In addition to this, it is about the fight against labor crime in general. Here, we have, among other things, directed Arbetsmiljöverket towards more unannounced and physical inspections. But we must remember that when it comes to the illegal taxi industry, it may not be the most effective instrument.
These are, by definition, people who may not exist in registered companies and who are difficult to find through that type of check. What I mean instead is that a very important measure is to ensure that the police have sufficient resources to carry out traffic checks. It is in that type of check that this type of crime can more easily be detected.
It is extremely regrettable here that the previous government watched passively while crime escalated in the way it did on all levels, while the police force remained unchanged in number in relation to the population size. We had the same number of police in relation to the population size in 2022 as we had in 2012, despite the fact that it could not have escaped anyone that we have had a skyrocketing development of serious crime that consumes very many resources.
I can speak from my own previous professional experience. The dismantling that it de facto is, comes at the expense of other police work and other crime-fighting work. For example, the work of carrying out traffic controls becomes harder to carry out when there are fewer police on site.
It is part of the government's work that we significantly ramp up the resource allocation to our justice system so that our justice system can not only handle the serious gang crime but also, for example, this type of crime. It is completely unreasonable that this problem should be able to spread in the way it does today.
Serkan Köse (S)
Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Minister, for the answer!
I thought: When will the criticism of the previous government come? It did it now. The Deputy Minister for Employment has a great responsibility for the work environment policy and for the fight against crime in the workplace. Everything that the government has on its table today is what the previous government delivered. It is everything from the strategy to the a-krim centers that exist today.
If we set aside that discussion, the Minister has been responsible for these issues for nearly two years. The question is: What concrete proposals for measures are on the Minister's desk so that we can combat crime in the working life on the Swedish labor market today?
Representatives for the taxi industry do not want to hear the Minister of Justice blame the previous government. They want to know what the Minister of Justice himself has on his desk and how the Minister of Justice intends to act to combat crime in the labor market within the taxi industry and the illegal taxi industry, which I mentioned among other things. It continues to flourish, and serious companies are hit hard.
In the Stockholm region, we have Taxi Stockholm, which is a large employer that offers its employees fair conditions and collective agreements. It creates many jobs and serves as a good example of how companies in the taxi industry can be operated in a responsible manner. But it is challenged by the unscrupulous companies that contribute to crime in the labor market.
Mr. Speaker! To ensure a fair and sustainable future within the taxi industry, the government must act now regarding the challenges we face today concerning black taxi activities and the unscrupulous actors. I contend that it is high time for the government to present some concrete proposals for reforms.
Again: Is the government waiting until February 2025 to concretely deliver some proposals, or is there anything on the table today? It would be good if the taxi industry could hear what the government has on its table to stop the problems that exist today.
Statsrådet Paulina Brandberg (L)
Mr. Speaker! It shows some self-awareness from the Social Democrats that they expect criticism from the government. The problem with illegal taxi activity is nothing that has arisen in the last year and a half, but it is a problem that has spread over a longer period of time.
The interpellator requests concrete measures. I have mentioned them here today, but I can summarize perhaps the most important measures the government takes in three points.
It is, of course, the additional directives to the Delegation against crime against the working life, which I mentioned in my initial interpellation response.
As I mentioned in my previous post, we are making a huge resource reinforcement in our justice system, which is very important in order to be able to address this issue.
We are also removing the secrecy barriers so that our authorities can better cooperate to tackle all forms of crime in the working life.
If these are not concrete measures, what are they then?
The Government shares the interpellator's view that the black taxi activity is a major problem, and we are working on several fronts to address this. We will continue that work throughout the entire mandate period.
With that, I would like to thank you for today's debate.
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.