The strike, launched by the Norwegian Air Traffic Controllers Association (NFF) Friday, August 21st, severely disrupted travel over the weekend.
Major hubs bore the brunt, with Oslo Airport (Gardermoen) closing for five hours on Sunday morning and more than 150 flights cancelled nationwide, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded in terminals.
Avinor, the airport operator, expects Monday to be manageable, but delays are still happening. At least seven morning flights from Oslo, Bergen, Stavanger, Trondheim, and Florø have already been cancelled.
Mediation
The timeline for ending the strike depends on emergency talks between the NFF and employer organisation Spekter on Monday morning.
Both parties expressed a desire for dialogue, but substantial hurdles remain. NFF leader Robert Gjønnes pointed to working conditions and break schedules, where controllers allegedly work long shifts (up to 16 hours) without sufficient rest, as a primary issue.
However, Spekter chief Anne-Kari Bratten firmly ruled out concessions on rest periods before entering the venue, arguing that the break demands are not relevant to this wage settlement and represent a dispute the union has previously lost in court.
"It is unfortunate that a completely innocent third party is affected, and we are very sorry for that," Gjønnes told newspaper Aftenposten ahead of the talks. "We stand united in this conflict, so we hope that the dialogue is good and constructive today so that we can find sustainable solutions."
Potential escalation
If Monday’s talks do not lead to an agreement, the NFF has warned that the strike could escalate further on Wednesday.
Despite the fact that only 12 air traffic controllers went on strike on Friday morning, the walkout has caused major disruption across national airspace, raising serious concerns about how severely a planned escalation could hit travel later this week.
Last resort
Even though passengers are frustrated, the Ministry of Labour said on Sunday evening that compulsory wage arbitration (tvungen lønnsnemnd) is not being considered.
"It is a last resort. This only happens if the labour dispute could endanger life, health, or safety, or lead to other serious societal consequences," Line Eldring, State Secretary at the Ministry of Labour and Social Inclusion, told business news site E24.
What should travellers do?
If you are scheduled to fly this week, check your flight status regularly on Avinor’s website or your airline’s app. Do not cancel your flight on your own. You can read more about your rights as a traveller in this article.
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