It’s taken a lot of intense marathon negotiations, but representatives for both labour unions and employers have been able to shake hands over a series of wage and benefit settlements so far this spring. Construction workers, hotel workers and restaurant employees are among those averting strikes.
The settlements follow an important agreement between industrial workers and employers earlier this month. It set the tone for other negotiations and ended with similar wage hikes of more than 5 percent, described as a “solid” increase, and better working conditions in the construction business. The settlement between trade union federation Fellesforbundet and NHO Byggenæring averted a strike that could have halted projects underway for construction firms Peab, Veidekke and Skanska.
On Monday an agreement was reached between Fellesforbundet and NHO Reiseliv after 11 hours of mediation in overtime. That averted a strike that could disrupted or even closed hotels in several Norwegian cities, while negotiations continued between workers’ organization Parat and NHO Reiseliv.
More important negotiations began on Monday, meanwhile, between labour organizations representing nurses and teachers and their employers in local communities. Their expectations for higher pay and their willingness to strike were reportedly high after years of pacts that have failed to keep up with the cost of living.
Negotiations also loom between nurses’ and teachers’ unions in the private sector, at the state level and with the City of Oslo, which negotiates separately. Nurses currently earn less than what’s considered average pay of NOK 650,000 (USD 65,000) a year: Even with 10 years of experience, nurses earn only NOK 565,000 before extra pay can click in for overtime, night, weekend and holiday shifts.
NewsinEnglish.no staff
