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Strikes For Members

LATEST: Norwegian private sector workers to end strike

Robin-Ivan Capar
Robin-Ivan Capar - [email protected]
LATEST: Norwegian private sector workers to end strike
Norway's private sector has been experiencing a general strike for four consecutive days following unsuccessful wage settlement negotiations and mediation talks between employer and employee representatives. Photo by Martijn Baudoin on Unsplash

The general strike in Norway's private sector, which started on Monday earlier in the week, has ended, Norwegian media reported on Thursday.

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Broadcaster TV 2, the news bureau NTB, and the newspaper VG report that the general strike in Norway's private sector - which has been going on for four days - has ended.

The industrial action started on Monday after employee and employer side representatives failed to reach an agreement during wage settlement talks and mediation.

The employee side is represented by the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) and the Confederation of Vocational Unions (YS), while the employee side's interests are looked after by the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise (NHO).

According to VG, LO and NHO reached an agreement on Thursday, and the parties will hold a press conference later in the day.

Since Monday, 22,947 LO members and 1,441 YS members have been on strike. 

Mediation process updates 

On Thursday, the Office of the National Mediator of Norway (Riksmekleren) announced that it was in contact with the parties in the strike to see if there may be a basis for new meetings.

"The parties have not been called in, but we will have contact with them today," the mediation office's Mats Ruland wrote in a text message to the Dagbladet newspaper.

He further noted that it was natural to be in touch during the conflict, among other things, to see if there was a basis for new meetings.

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Strike escalation avoided

Around 24,000 LO and YS union members have been on strike since Monday. On Friday, another 17,000 people were expected to join the strike.

In the first instance, the strike affected the production and distribution of products such as beer, chips, chocolate, and soft drinks. A broad range of food and drink companies were affected, including Coca-Cola, Ringnes, Hansa Borg, Aass Bryggeri, Grans Bryggeri, Telemark Kildevann, Voss Production, Arendals Bryggeri, EC Dahls Bryggeri, Mack Ølbryggeri, Mondelez Norge (including Freia), Sørlandschips, Orkla Confectionery, Maarud, Brynild, Vectura, and Arcus.

The Friday escalation was supposed to affect the operation of the store chain Rema 1000 (branches of Rema Distribusjon Norge in Heimdal, Narvik, Stavanger and the distribution centre in Vinterbro will be affected) and postal service operator PostNord.

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Furthermore, employees at Kongsberg Maritime at Hagavik and Strandpromenaden in Horten were also supposed to join the strike from Friday, as were workers at some Felleskjøp stores and Kaefer Energy in Stavanger.

The Orkla conglomerate planned to close five of its eleven factories if the strike escalates on Friday. This applies to the factory in Fredrikstad, two in Rygge, one in Elverum and the smaller factory in Oslo that produces Nugatti, the company told the newspaper Dagens Næringsliv (DN).

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