Norway
Background information on industrial relations in Norway
- 07 Dec 2011
Norway: Proposals to improve the quality of working lifeIn August 2011, the Norwegian government submitted a white paper on working conditions, work environment and safety to parliament (Stortinget). The paper provides a thorough depiction of the situation in Norway and outlines a number of measures needed to improve conditions for workers. These include the prevention of involuntary part-time work, and the promotion of decent wages and working conditions in public contracts.
- 10 Nov 2011
Norway: Adecco to grant retroactive overtime payIn October 2011 the largest recruitment company in Norway, Adecco, reached an agreement with two trade unions for the retroactive reimbursement of overtime pay for employees who were working in nursing homes in the counties of Oslo and Akershus. Several municipalities ended their contracts with Adecco following media allegations about unpaid overtime and extensive breaches of working hours regulations. The company has now closed its remaining nursing homes in Norway.
- 17 Aug 2011
Norway: Minimum wage for cleaning industryIn June 2011 the Norwegian Tariff Board declared that the collective agreement in the cleaning industry was generally applicable and that a minimum wage would be introduced in this sector from 1 September 2011. Both the unions and the employers’ representatives in the cleaning industry agreed that such an extension of the collective agreement was necessary. The ruling of the Board was nevertheless passed with some dissenting votes from the employers’ side.
- 01 Aug 2011
Norway: Norway: Helping young workers during the crisis - Contributions by social partners and public authoritiesCompared to other European countries the youth unemployment rate in Norway is rather low. This is related to the relatively low overall unemployment rate, as well as to the fact that a large proportion of the younger age group is still attending school. The international economic crisis has not led to any extensive debate on youth unemployment, nor are new measures introduced related to the recent economic situation. The Government, as well as the social partners point out that the most important measure against youth unemployment would be reducing the drop-out rate from upper secondary education.
- 15 Jul 2011
Norway: 2011 wage talks draw to a closeIn the course of spring 2011, Norway’s social partner organisations negotiated pay rates for both private and public sector workers, which will be part of the biennial collective agreements made for the period 2010–2012. The results of bargaining are expected to generate overall wage growth for 2011 of between 3.65% in the private sector to 4.25% in the municipal sector. Negotiations in Oslo, and in the finance sector, broke down and will now proceed to compulsory arbitration.
- 08 Jul 2011
Norway: ESA approves Norwegian measures against social dumpingSince the EU enlargement in 2004, the Norwegian government has introduced a number of measures to combat low-wage competition in the Norwegian labour market and to ensure that the wages and working conditions of foreign workers match standards in Norwegian working life. Several of the measures, which have been introduced under the General Application Act, have been assessed and approved by the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) Surveillance Authority (ESA).
- 06 Jul 2011
Norway: Adecco allegations put focus on public procurement and social dumpingFollowing claims in February 2011 that it had systematically violated work environment legislation in Norwegian nursing homes, the recruitment agency Adecco has ended all its nursing home operations in the country. The case also prompted debate over the role of temporary worker agencies and similar enterprises, privatisation, the role of the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority and the need for improved measures to combat social dumping in the municipal sector.
- 22 Jun 2011
Norway: Norway: EIRO CAR on SMEs in the crisis: Employment, Industrial Relations and Local Partnership“Local partnerships” have not played any substantial role as a response to the crises. Norwegian Government increased public funding substantially, among others for investments in and maintenance of public infrastructure, as well as passed new measures to counteract the problems many companies as well as citizens faced in the finance market.
- 10 Jun 2011
Norway: Norwegian wages rose 3.75% in 2010Norwegian wages increased by 3.75% between 2009 and 2010. Norwegian wage earners, on average, saw a growth in real wages after tax of 1.25% during this time. Wage growth was at its highest in the finance sector whereas manufacturing industry workers witnessed a wage growth of 3.6%. The average pay difference between female and male full-time employees fell by 0.5 percentage points from 2009 to 2010. This pay difference varies widely from sector to sector, however.
- 27 May 2011
Norway: Hospitals ordered to reduce part-time workIn spring 2011 Norway’s Health Minister Grete Strøm-Eriksen ordered all state hospitals to reduce their use of part-time positions by 20%. The government wants more full-time jobs and has also allocated funds to help to reduce the number of people in involuntary part time work. One in three employed women aged 25–54 years in Norway works part time. Many would like their working hours extended, and unions want to see the introduction of a statutory right to full-time work.
- 29 Mar 2011
Norway: Government measures to promote equal payIn October 2010, the Norwegian government presented its policies to promote equal pay. The government aims to strengthen the individual worker’s ability to follow up his or her claim to equal pay by ensuring that pay statistics, broken down by gender and groups of occupations, will be made available at company level to all employees. The government also wants to promote greater equality between mothers and fathers by clarifying existing parental leave regulations.
- 25 Mar 2011
Norway: Boycott forces company to sign collective agreementThe Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions used strike action and a boycott to force a company selling workwear to sign a collective bargaining agreement in January 2011. The unions initially applied to conclude a collective agreement with the company in 2008. Its refusal led the unions to decide on collective action. This marked the start of continuous conflict between the company and the unions, which has been subject to court rulings on two occasions.
- 15 Mar 2011
Norway: Board refuses to extend collective agreements on wage dumpingIn December 2010, the Norwegian Tariff Board decided not to allow the extension of two of the four collective agreements presently in general application in sectors of the Norwegian economy. The board argued that the general application resolutions in these agreements have served their purpose, and that there is no longer a need for them. The decision was made against the advice of the Tariff Board representative from the employee side, and has been criticised by trade unions.
- 25 Feb 2011
Norway: Women board members recruited same way as menA 2010 Norwegian research report examines how women are being recruited to corporate boards, following the introduction of a statutory quota regulating the composition of company boards. The survey finds few systematic variations between women and men when it comes to their educational background and attitudes towards actively engaging in board work. Women are mainly recruited through professional networks rather than family networks or recruitment/consultancy firms.
- 14 Feb 2011
Norway: Norway: Industrial Relations in the Health Care SectorThe Norwegian health care sector is mainly part of the public sector, and there has only been moderate pressure for privatisation and competitive tendering. The union density rate is high in most parts of the sector, and the density rate is also high on the employer side. The large majority of employees and companies are covered by collective agreements, including private care providers. The hospital sector was reorganised though a major reform in 2002, whereas the focus lately has been on improving the coordination between hospitals and the primary level health care provision such as care in the home and in nursing homes.
- 19 Jan 2011
Norway: NORWAY: EIRO Car on The effect of the Information and Consultation Directive on Industrial Relations in the EU Member States five years after its transpositionIn Norway the role of I&C bodies is well established though nationwide collective agreements (Basic Agreements) which regulate the role of shop stewards/company level trade unions and employers, as well as which issues that should be object for information and consultation. The I&C directive has so far not had any substantial influence on this well-established system. Surveys indicate that the large majority of companies with 50 employees and more have some type of I&C body, included companies without trade unions/collective agreement.
- 11 Jan 2011
Norway: Annual review - Norway 2009The international economic downturn concerned much of 2009, although the Norwegian economy was less affected by the crisis than the neighbouring economies. Media, building- and construction and export industries have particularly felt the effects of the economic downswing, but without it leading to significant conflicts between the labour market parties. The spring 2009 wage settlement progressed without controversy in the private sector, while the parties in the public sector reached agreement on a revised scheme for early retirement pensions. Measures against so-called social dumping have also been on the agenda throughout 2009. Strong growth in sick leave figures led to discussions on measures to reduce sickness absenteeism in the autumn 2009.
- 10 Jan 2011
Norway: New measures to improve safety for cleaners and hotel and restaurant workersThe Norwegian government is extending measures from 1 January 2011 to improve the working conditions of cleaners as well as employees in hotels and restaurants. It is rolling out its regional safety officer scheme, already operating in the construction industry, to cover these two sectors. This will lead to safety officers being appointed by the relevant trade unions to have particular responsibility for working conditions in firms with no health and safety representative.