1. During examination
of this question, the Norwegian delegation informed the Committee
of Ministers that the Norwegian authorities have undertaken a thorough
examination of these claims, as has the Parliamentary Ombudsman.
The authorities have concluded that there are no legal arguments
to support the claim of the Spanish sailors. The Committee of Ministers
was also informed that the Spanish sailors have brought the case before
the competent Norwegian courts. On 11 March 2016, a collective complaint
was also lodged before the European Committee of Social Rights by
a Norwegian trade union on behalf of the Spanish sailors.
2. The Committee of Ministers reiterates its attachment to Council
of Europe standards in the field of workers’ rights, in particular
the provisions contained in the European Social Charter, the European
Code of Social Security and the European Convention on Human Rights
as interpreted by the European Court of Human Rights.
