The Labour Inspectorate has carried out several inspections at the employer Bobnar, and the proceedings are still ongoing

SLOVENIA, September 9 - The Priority Response Division conducted labour inspections in the field of occupational safety and health as well as employment relations at Kmetijsko gospodarstvo Bobnar, Trgovina s sadjem in zelenjavo, d. o. o. (on 5 and 26 June 2025), and later, on 10 June and 14 July 2025, at Gostinstvo Bobnar, Gostinstvo in storitve, d. o. o. (business unit in Ravne na Koroškem) and Kmetijski pridelki Bojan Bobnar, s. p. (on 27 August 2025).

At Kmetijsko gospodarstvo Bobnar, d. o. o., 21 workers from India and Nepal were employed at the time of inspection, eight of whom were questioned as witnesses during the procedure. The witnesses clearly described events and irregularities at the employer. The inspection was carried out in a coordinated action together with the Kranj Police Department for Compensatory Measures and the Financial Administration of the Republic of Slovenia. Violations of employment relations law were established in relation to ensuring rest periods between working days and the calculation and payment of allowances for work under special working conditions arising from the organisation of working time. Due to the suspicion of a criminal offence of violation of fundamental workers’ rights, a criminal complaint (under Article 196 of the Criminal Code) was filed with the District State Prosecutor’s Office in Kranj. In the field of occupational safety and health, a prohibition order was issued due to inadequate housing conditions for workers on the day of the inspection. In addition, other irregularities regarding occupational safety and health were identified, which led the Inspectorate to initiate offence proceedings that are still ongoing.

During the inspection, inspectors also provided foreign workers with information about their rights and options. More than half of the foreign employees at the employer have successfully found new employment with another employer, precisely due to the swift response of the inspectors from the Priority Response Division and the comprehensive handling of the case.

Administrative proceedings are also ongoing at the other two companies (Gostinstvo Bobnar, d. o. o. and Kmetijski pridelki Bojan Bobnar, s. p.). At Gostinstvo Bobnar, d. o. o., inspectors identified violations regarding fixed-term employment, payment of holiday allowance and allowances for work under special conditions arising from working time arrangements, and record-keeping of working hours. Offence proceedings are ongoing. Against Kmetijski pridelki Bojan Bobnar, s. p., an offence proceeding has also been initiated. The identified irregularities related to the declaration of safety with risk assessment, the arrangement of work premises, and the provision of first aid. An order requiring corrective measures was also issued. The proceedings therefore remain ongoing.

The Labour Inspectorate cannot provide further details on inspections while the fact-finding procedure is underway and before ensuring the employer’s right to be heard. Such restraint is not a matter of choice but a necessary condition for safeguarding the integrity of the procedure and the undisturbed functioning of inspectors. In coordinated actions involving various state authorities, it is even more crucial not to jeopardise the success of other parallel proceedings by disclosing details prematurely. This approach ensures the credibility of the information provided.

The Labour Inspectorate firmly states that violations of workers’ rights, especially when it comes to vulnerable groups, are unacceptable, and it rejects allegations of non-responsiveness in this particular case.