Norwegian state and municipal employees get pay rise in new agreement
Three rounds of wage negotiations – for state workers, municipal employees, and Oslo Municipality as a separate tariff area – were all successfully concluded over the last three days as part of updated collective bargaining agreements.
Collective wage settlement negotiations have been concluded for Norwegian state and municipal workers for 2023.
Collective bargaining agreements are used under the Norwegian labour system to regulate salaries and other working conditions. The settlements take the form of negotiation and agreements between trade unions and employer organisations.
Because 2023 is an interim settlement year, only salaries were negotiated in the most recent talks.
READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: What is a Norwegian collective bargaining agreement?
On Friday, an agreement was reached regarding the wages for state workers. On Saturday, worker and employer representatives also agreed on a wage hike for municipality employees.
Lastly, on Sunday, a framework for wage increases was also confirmed for Oslo Municipality workers, which fall under a separate union tariff area.
What can unionised state and municipality workers expect?
The framework for the wage increase for state employees ended at 5.2 percent, which unions later described as a big win.
"We got approval to lift the whole team, ensure equal pay, and reduce differences," Egil André Aas, head of trade union confederation LO Stat, said in a press release.
On Saturday, the municipal wage settlement was also concluded, with a framework wage increase of 5.4 percent.
The employers' organisation KS and the four negotiating union associations - the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO), the Confederation of Unions for Professionals (Unio), the Confederation of Vocational Unions (YS), and the Federation of Norwegian Professional Associations (Akademikerne) - were satisfied with the outcome.
Tor Arne Gangsø at KS said the solution gives a boost to both low-paid and highly-educated people.
"In the last three years, the state, hospitals and industry have had higher wage growth than the municipal sector. Therefore, KS has gone to great lengths this year to make up for some of this," he said.
Separate talks for Oslo Municipality
Oslo Municipality is a separate tariff area and is not covered by the negotiations with KS.
However, on Sunday, all the unions - LO Kommune Oslo, Unio, YS and Akademikerne – were also able to reach an agreement on the wage settlement with Oslo Municipality.
The agreed increase mirrored the municipal wage settlement at 5.4 percent.
The agreements mean that all settlements in the municipality and the state sectors were finalised well before the negotiation deadline on the night of May 1st.
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Collective wage settlement negotiations have been concluded for Norwegian state and municipal workers for 2023.
Collective bargaining agreements are used under the Norwegian labour system to regulate salaries and other working conditions. The settlements take the form of negotiation and agreements between trade unions and employer organisations.
Because 2023 is an interim settlement year, only salaries were negotiated in the most recent talks.
READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: What is a Norwegian collective bargaining agreement?
On Friday, an agreement was reached regarding the wages for state workers. On Saturday, worker and employer representatives also agreed on a wage hike for municipality employees.
Lastly, on Sunday, a framework for wage increases was also confirmed for Oslo Municipality workers, which fall under a separate union tariff area.
What can unionised state and municipality workers expect?
The framework for the wage increase for state employees ended at 5.2 percent, which unions later described as a big win.
"We got approval to lift the whole team, ensure equal pay, and reduce differences," Egil André Aas, head of trade union confederation LO Stat, said in a press release.
On Saturday, the municipal wage settlement was also concluded, with a framework wage increase of 5.4 percent.
The employers' organisation KS and the four negotiating union associations - the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO), the Confederation of Unions for Professionals (Unio), the Confederation of Vocational Unions (YS), and the Federation of Norwegian Professional Associations (Akademikerne) - were satisfied with the outcome.
Tor Arne Gangsø at KS said the solution gives a boost to both low-paid and highly-educated people.
"In the last three years, the state, hospitals and industry have had higher wage growth than the municipal sector. Therefore, KS has gone to great lengths this year to make up for some of this," he said.
Separate talks for Oslo Municipality
Oslo Municipality is a separate tariff area and is not covered by the negotiations with KS.
However, on Sunday, all the unions - LO Kommune Oslo, Unio, YS and Akademikerne – were also able to reach an agreement on the wage settlement with Oslo Municipality.
The agreed increase mirrored the municipal wage settlement at 5.4 percent.
The agreements mean that all settlements in the municipality and the state sectors were finalised well before the negotiation deadline on the night of May 1st.
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