Court Finds the Underpayment Was Intentional
The Romerike and Glåmdal District Court sentenced former Vlantana Norge executive Vladas Stoncius Jr. to eight months in prison on August 18, 2026. His associate Ovidijus Grigalavicius received a 120-day prison term, according to Norwegian labor publication FriFagbevegelse.
The unanimous judgment runs to 153 pages. The court concluded that Stoncius knew how the company’s wage system operated and understood that drivers were regularly being paid below the mandatory minimum rate.
“He knew the actual wage arrangement and understood that drivers received hourly pay below the applicable rate,” the judgment said.
The court found that reducing labor costs was one of the main purposes of the arrangement. It said the underpayment gave the company an unjustified competitive advantage in Norway’s road freight market.
Drivers Were Placed on Fictitious 50% Contracts
Vlantana Norge was the Norwegian subsidiary of Lithuania-based logistics group Vlantana. The company went bankrupt in April 2020 after extensive driver underpayment was uncovered.
Drivers were formally employed under 50% contracts while working substantially longer hours. When their pay was calculated against the hours actually worked, their hourly earnings fell below the minimum rate applicable to road freight employees.
The Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority states that statutory pay and working-condition requirements also apply to foreign drivers performing road freight operations in Norway.
Prosecutors had sought a 15-month sentence for Stoncius and five months for Grigalavicius. The court initially considered 13 months appropriate for Stoncius but deducted five months because of the time taken to bring the case to judgment. Grigalavicius’ initial six-month sentence was similarly reduced to 120 days.
Court Awards Compensation to 39 Drivers
In addition to the prison sentence, Stoncius was ordered to pay almost NOK 1.75 million under civil claims filed on behalf of 39 drivers. The total includes:
- more than NOK 650,000 in unpaid wages and interest for 29 drivers;
- nearly NOK 700,000 in legal expenses for 39 drivers;
- NOK 370,000 in compensation to one driver for underpaid daily allowances;
- NOK 30,000 in court costs.
Grigalavicius was ordered to pay NOK 10,000 in legal costs.
The ruling follows an earlier civil case. In 2023, Stoncius was ordered to pay 52 drivers a combined NOK 13.4 million, plus late-payment interest.
Judgment Remains Open to Appeal
Prosecutor Andreas Heldal said the prosecution would review the court’s reasoning before deciding whether to appeal. He said the case confirms that foreign drivers are entitled to minimum wages and overtime compensation on the same basis as Norwegian workers.
“Employers who underpay drivers risk personal prosecution as well as substantial compensation claims,” Heldal said.
Defense lawyers Elisabeth Roscher and Brynjar Østgård are also reviewing the decision. They stressed that the first-instance judgment is not final. The two-week appeal deadline had not expired when the case was reported.
The Vlantana Norge case demonstrates that systematic wage underpayment can result not only in back-pay claims but also in personal criminal liability for transport company executives.
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