From precarious to permanent: Norwegian postal workers secure major win

(14 October 2022) Norwegian union Fagforbundet secured a major win as state-run postal services move van drivers to permanent positions.

Up until now, Norwegian postal service Posten and its subsidiary Bring have relied on ‘self-employed’ drivers to transport parcels and goods. This resulted in a workforce without any formal connection to the labour market and therefore no access to regulated working hours, pension rights, holiday pay and sick pay.

The victory means that 200 drivers will now be employed to carry out the postal services essential work. Gerd Øiahals, head of Fagforbundet Post and Finance Union, says that the new policy will create a professional environment that allows better regulation of pay and working conditions.

Jan Willem Goudriaan, General Secretary, EPSU called the news “A significant victory which shows that workers do not want their jobs outsourced from public services such as postal services, health, water companies and public administrations. The insourcing of jobs into the Norwegian public Posten shows how public authorities can lead and provide good and stable jobs.”

A recent report published by EPSU highlights the negative consequences of outsourcing public administration jobs. Fagforbundet victory highlights another key message of the new report: not only is ‘insourcing’ possible, it inevitably leads to better conditions for the workers involved. Read the full report – available in English, Spanish, Dutch, Italian and French – here.

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