Norway
Background information on industrial relations in Norway
- 20 Dec 2007
Norway: Impact of the working time directive on collective bargaining in the road transport sector — NorwayIn Norway the directive was implemented by Regulation of 10 June 2005 about working time for drivers and others within the field of road transport. The regulation came into force 1 July 2005, and is pursuant to the Act regarding Workers Protection and Working Environment (Arbeidsmiljøloven)
- 19 Nov 2007
Norway: Union congress focuses on pensions and social dumpingThe Norwegian United Federation of Trade Unions held its national congress in October 2007. One of the main issiues was to formulate the union’s demands for discussion at the 2008 renegotiations of the agreement-based early retirement scheme. Also discussed at the meeting were issues such as social dumping, which is threatening wages and working conditions in certain sectors of the economy. A majority voted in favour of a Norwegian veto against the EU services directive.
- 19 Nov 2007
Norway: Close trade union cooperation behind Statoil–Hydro mergerIn early October 2007, the two largest Norwegian oil companies, Statoil and Norsk Hydro, formally merged. The two companies have emphasised the importance of including employee organisations in the process, and the trade unions seem satisfied with the way the merger process has been carried out. The various trade unions represented in both companies have placed great emphasis on coordinating their demands and participation in the merger process.
- 15 Nov 2007
Norway: Final Questionnaire for EIRO comparative analytical report on industrial relations in the postal sector – case of NorwayThe Norwegian postal market and the main provider (Norway Post) has undergone substantial changes since the mid 1990s.This includes deregulation and increased competiton, substantial downsizing processes and the transfer of Norway Post from a traditional state utility till a modern market actor.
- 12 Nov 2007
Norway: Positive impact of extended collective agreements on migrant workersEastern European workers at onshore petroleum installations in Norway are paid in accordance with the minimum wage provided for by collective agreements. This is the main conclusion of a case study published by the Fafo Institute for Applied Social Science in October 2007. With regard to health and safety issues, the report indicates that safety is not given the same level of priority among eastern European workers as is the case for Norwegian citizens working at these sites.
- 09 Oct 2007
Norway: Employers in commerce sector call for statutory minimum wageIn June 2007, the Norwegian employer organisation for the commerce sector, the Federation of Commercial and Service Enterprises, called on the Minister of Labour and Social Inclusion to introduce a statutory national minimum wage in Norway. Up to now, minimum wages have been decided through collective bargaining, and in rare cases problems arising have been addressed by widening the scope of collective agreements.
- 10 Sep 2007
Norway: Social partners issue action plan for preventing stress at workThe social partner organisations in Norway have agreed on how the European framework agreement on work-related stress is to be implemented at national level. By 1 July 2007, the organisations involved had published guidelines for implementation of the agreement on their websites, and a working group was set up to recommend other measures to help prevent stress at work.
- 10 Sep 2007
Norway: Influence of collective bargaining model on gender wage gapA research report published in June 2007 by the Institute for Social Research examines the effects of the Norwegian bargaining model on the gender pay gap. The report concludes that the main reason for the wage gap is due to men and women being subject to unequal pay within the same collective agreement area. Moreover, gender-based wage differences are greatest in those areas of working life where the so-called ‘trend-setting trades’ model is weakest.
- 03 Sep 2007
Norway: New early retirement scheme for private sector in pipelineA new early retirement scheme in the private sector in Norway is to be proposed by the end of the year. The proposal will be made by a tripartite commission that was set up in June 2007, and the scheme will be incorporated into the wage settlements for 2008. The need for a new early retirement scheme within the private sector was announced as part of the government’s white paper on a new pension system, which was presented last year.
- 03 Sep 2007
Norway: Labour shortages and unemployment fuel high pay increasesAn interim report on the 2007 wage bargaining round in Norway predicts pay increases substantially above the levels witnessed in 2005 and 2006. A wage drift caused by additional elements such as overtime payments, similar to that found in 2006, will result in a 4.8%–5.8% pay rise in large parts of the economy. With an estimated inflation rate below 1%, this means significant increases in the real wage for Norwegian employees in 2007.
- 16 Jul 2007
Norway: No rise in number of working days lost to industrial disputes in 2006According to figures published by Statistics Norway on 9 May 2007, the number of working days lost to industrial disputes in 2006 remained at the level witnessed during the period covered by the two previous main wage settlements in 2002 and 2004. The main conflicts in the 2006 settlement were related to wage matters, the question of gaining influence and control over occupational pension schemes, and the issue of company level bargaining.
- 26 Jun 2007
Norway: New measures aim to combat social dumpingIn May 2007, the Norwegian government announced the introduction of new measures that aim to combat social dumping. In sectors where collective agreements are made generally binding, the employer will be obliged to ensure that the wages and working conditions of employees in subcontracting companies are in accordance with the particular collective agreement. Although the trade unions have expressed their support for the measures, the employers are opposed to their introduction.
- 26 Jun 2007
Norway: New collective wage agreement concluded in public sectorIn May 2007, the social partners in the public sector concluded agreements for this year’s wage settlement. The negotiations will result in an average wage growth of between 4.8% and 4.9% for Norwegian public sector employees in 2007. This year, no funds have been set aside for decentralised bargaining at municipal level, whereas such bargaining will be possible at state level.
- 13 Jun 2007
Norway: Industrial relations developments 2006 — NorwayIn 2006 the nationwide biannual collective agreements were renegotiated, resulting in expected wage increases varying from 3,3 percent to 4 percent. Labour migration from the new EU-member states was on the agenda in 2006, raising the question, among others, of how to combat substandard wage and working conditions. The government put forward its proposal for a new pensions system, and a new commision has been appointed to investigating measures that may assist in narrowing the existing wage gap between men and women.
- 11 Jun 2007
Norway: Annual pay agreement reached in private sectorIn late March 2007, the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions and the Confederation of Vocational Unions, respectively, concluded agreements with the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise in the nationwide private sector pay negotiations. The average annual wage growth rate provided for in the settlement is estimated at 4.5%, including a general wage increase of NOK 2.50 (€0.30) an hour.
- 22 May 2007
Norway: Wage disparities for Polish workers in NorwayPolish workers in Norway are being paid less than Norwegians and a considerable number of Poles are working illegally or in a grey area of the economy. Also, the labour market for Polish workers in Norway is clearly demarcated along gender lines, with men working in the construction sector while women are mainly employed to clean private homes. These are the findings of a survey carried out among Polish workers in the Oslo area in Norway in the final quarter of 2006.
- 18 May 2007
Norway: Gender and career development — NorwayIn Norway there are concerns about the systematic differences that exists between men and women when it comes to part-time working, a gender-segregated occupational patterns, and fewer women than men in companies' top positons. This is linked to the fact that women still have the main responsiblilites at home, and there are ongoing discussions on measures to even out gender differences in domestic resposiblities as well as measures to make the work-life balance easier. In additon to measures to increase the number of women in top posistions in companies/establishments.
- 07 May 2007
Norway: Financial services sector records highest wage growthNew figures show that wage earners in Norway witnessed an average wage growth of 4.1% in 2006. The wage growth rate was highest among employees working in the financial services sector, where wages increased by 5.6% on average.
- 03 May 2007
Norway: LO president resigns following allegations of harassmentIn March 2007, the President of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO), Gerd-Liv Valla, announced her resignation. Ms Valla decided to step down following accusations of harassment made by one of her employees at LO. The Deputy President of LO, Roar Flåthen, has since been appointed as the new president of the confederation.
- 27 Apr 2007
Norway: Woman loses equal pay claim at Equality TribunalA case concerning a female senior consultant who claimed that her employer breached Norwegian law regarding the principle of equal pay for work of equal value came before the Equality and Anti-discrimination Tribunal in February 2007. The tribunal ruled in favour of the plaintiff, arguing that her work was of equal value to that of a male typographer in the same company. However, the woman lost the case as the tribunal also considered the payment of the two employees to be at the same level. This is the first time that two such diverse positions were considered to be of equal value by the tribunal.
- 12 Mar 2007
Norway: Government aims to get people off welfare and into workIn November 2006, the labour-led coalition government presented a white paper on work, welfare and inclusion. The main objective is to reduce poverty by enticing more people off welfare benefits and into employment.
- 12 Mar 2007
Norway: Employers criticise proposed legislation to restrict access to employees’ emailsIn the autumn of 2006, the Norwegian Ministry of Government Administration and Reform issued a proposal regarding employers’ access to employees’ emails for consultation among the relevant social partners. The proposed legislation would strengthen employees’ right to privacy by denying the employer access to employees’ emails, except under special circumstances. The deadline for responses was set for January 2007. The responses received show that both employers and public prosecutors have strong objections to the proposal.
- 12 Mar 2007
Norway: Legislation protecting whistle-blowers comes into forceIn January 2007, new legislation aimed at protecting employees who report misconduct in the organisation for which they work came into effect. The legislation protecting so-called ‘whistle-blowers’ was originally proposed by a working group under the auspices of the Norwegian Ministry of Labour and Social Inclusion in late 2005. The new legislation has received the support of the trade unions and been partly supported by the employer organisations.
- 19 Feb 2007
Norway: Proposed merger likely to result in world’s largest oil companyIn December 2006, the boards of the two largest oil companies in Norway – Statoil and Norsk Hydro – began formal talks on the possibility of forming a merger. The government, which has a large stake in both companies, reacted positively to the merger plans. The trade unions concerned were also supportive of the plans to merge.
- 19 Feb 2007
Norway: Gender pay gap wider in private sectorNew figures published by Statistics Norway in January 2007 show that in 2005 the average wage of women was 84.7% of the average wage of working men. This finding confirms that the wage gap in Norway has not changed significantly since 1998.
- 19 Feb 2007
Norway: Levelling of working time differences between mothers and fathersA new report published by Statistics Norway in January 2007 shows that there has been a reduction, albeit small, in the working time differences between mothers and fathers in the period from 1991 to 2004. Overall, however, the working time of mothers has remained surprisingly stable, despite significant efforts aimed at improving childcare facilities and parental leave arrangements.
- 12 Feb 2007
Norway: Pension reform to favour longer time in employmentIn October 2006, the Norwegian government presented a white paper on a new pension system, to be established from 1 January 2010. The white paper follows on from the broad compromise reached by parliament in the spring of 2005. Moreover, the government has also put forward a resolution which will facilitate a continuation of the controversial early retirement scheme.
- 12 Feb 2007
Norway: Construction sector agreement extended to protect foreign workersIn November 2006, the national Tariff Board decided to make parts of the Construction Sector Agreement generally applicable to all employees in Norway’s building and construction sector. This decision will protect non-national workers experiencing inferior wages and working conditions to their Norwegian colleagues. The extension of the agreement was due to come into force from 1 January 2007.
- 12 Feb 2007
Norway: Government to ban share options for managers in state-owned enterprisesThe government has put forward new guidelines on management remuneration in state-owned companies, in connection with the presentation of its white paper on state ownership in December 2006. The guidelines stipulate that state-owned companies are not to make use of stock options in their management remuneration programmes.
- 05 Feb 2007
Norway: Supreme court redefines rules on use of temporary employmentIn September 2006, the Norwegian Supreme Court made a ruling in a case involving the use of temporary employment in the form of stand-by duty employment contracts. The ruling reinforces the principle that temporary employees may not fill predictable vacancies in the workforce, and prescribes when so-called substitute or stand-by duty contracts may legitimately be used.
- 04 Jan 2007
Norway: Restructuring in public sector can lead to exclusion from working lifeA research report published in September 2006 shows that restructuring in the Norwegian public sector may in some cases increase the probability of being excluded from working life through unemployment, sickness or disability. Another report compares different types of redundancy pay arrangements used in the public sector, and concludes that severance pay packages which presuppose that employees resign voluntarily are an incentive towards more active job seeking.