Wage regulation negotiations in the state sector finalised

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Late June 1996 saw agreement in the central "wage regulation" negotiations in Norway's state sector. These negotiations take place within the framework of the main state sector settlement.

This year's "wage regulation" negotiations for the state sector were finalised on 26 June. This bargaining deals with the specific details of pay for particular groups of employees or jobs, beyond the general pay issues dealt with in the main agreements (NO9705111N). The three main bargaining cartels on the employee side (which stem from the three trade union confederations), along with the Norwegian Union of Teachers, reached an agreement with the employers through bargaining. A number of occupations were given increases as a consequence of the negotiations, and the teachers are seen as one of the "winners". This was not unexpected since the wage statistics show that the teachers have had a less favourable wage increase over the past year relative to other groups.

In this year's state sector settlement, only approximately 40% of the total wage increases were allocated in the main settlement. The remaining funds were set aside for the central wage regulation negotiations and for local negotiations. Local negotiations will also be held in the municipal sector. Within the municipal sector the local negotiations will, amongst other issues, be used to follow up the new job category system which was introduced by last year's settlement.

The parties may not use industrial conflict during the wage regulation or local negotiations. As a consequence, several of the employee organisations are sceptical about allocating too much of the settlement to these types of negotiations. However, the employee organisations differ in their opinion as to the appropriateness of local negotiations. TheFederation of Norwegian Professional Associations (AF) and the majority of AF's affiliated organisations are positive towards local negotiations, and in most cases want a significant share of the funds to be set aside for such negotiations. On the other side, federations affiliated to the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) are sceptical about local bargaining. On the employer side, the Norwegian Association of Local Authorities (KS), in particular, has argued in favour of placing greater emphasis on local bargaining.