Ukraine, Norway
Industrial agreement sets clear marker for public sector negotiations
The Fagforbundet trade union reports that the outcome of negotiations in the industrial sector which delivered a central pay rise of 5.2% and extra benefits for the lower paid, provides a good basis for negotiations in the public sector. Fagforbundet is particularly focused on ensuring that all workers in the public sector get a good increase and that those with the least receive the most. The industry deal marks the end of a trend of several years of declining real wages in manufacturing. The 5.2% increase is ahead of the expected rise in prices of 4.1%. Industrial unions have also won an
Unions taking different approaches to working time
Following the article on Iceland, the latest in the series of articles on working time commissioned by EPSU from the Labour Research Department focuses on developments in the other Nordic countries. While several unions in Sweden have put shorter working time on the bargaining agenda (see also article on Sweden in this newsletter), there are only a few cases in social care where a shorter working week has been implemented. In Norway and Denmark the priority has been more to ensure that workers in health and care and other services have the right to full-time working although there are some
Two years of war: EPSU in solidarity with Ukrainian workers
After two years of Russian aggression, EPSU reiterates its support to the Ukrainian people. At the international solidarity meeting with Ukrainian and international trade unions held on 22 February 2024, EPSU General Secretary Jan Willem Goudriaan recalled: “We express our full solidarity with Ukrainian workers, the unions and the people.
Digitalisation features in framework agreement in municipalities
Fagforbundet and other trade unions in local government have negotiated a new framework agreement which updates the rules and processes regulating the relations between local government unions and employers. The agreement covers continuing discussions about the need to develop the rights of employee representatives and the framework conditions in which they operate, a review of the main agreement to identify provisions that may be out of date or no longer relevant, consideration of how the provisions are applied in practice and to assess the need for amendments. There is also a specific
Union wins another case against bogus self-employment
The Fagforbundet trade union has secured another legal victory against a care company cutting employment costs by misclassifying workers as self-employed. Three of the union's members in the private care company Recoveryakademiet have been awarded NOK 7 million (€600,000) in back pay (salary, overtime and holiday pay). The three, classified as “consultants” by the company, worked for several weeks without a legal working hours scheme being established, and were therefore paid much less than they were entitled to. They were also denied their right to holiday pay and sick pay. This follows a
PSI World Congress in solidarity with Ukrainian workers and people
The hundreds of delegates to the PSI World Congress stood up in solidarity with the Ukrainian delegation, applauding the bravery of the working class standing up to Russian imperialism following the aggression on 24 February 2022.
Call for an end to Russian war crimes against journalists in Ukraine
The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), EPSU and over 20 other organisations are calling for action against the Russian Federation for the war crimes committed against journalists. The perpetrators should be held accountable.
Unions negotiate special age limits for arduous work
The LO and other confederations have negotiated special age limits and pension additions for public sector workers in difficult and arduous jobs. When a new public service pension was negotiated in 2018, it was clear that separate pension solutions had to be agreed for over 200,000 with special age limits. After two failed negotiations, bargaining resumed on 30 May this year, and an agreement was reached on 25 August. The new model will mean that with full earnings, a special age premium of 5.8% will apply to those with a special age limit of 65 years, 6.5% for those with 63 years and 7.7% for
Series of pay deals for private sector childcare workers
EPSU affiliates Fagforbundet and Delta, along with other unions, have been involved in negotiating a series of similar pay deals for workers covered by different private sector collective agreements. Assistants and skilled workers in the PBL group of kindergartens got a NOK 25800 (€2200) addition on annual salaries while teachers and education leaders received NOK 30000 (€2560). The overall cost increase of 5.4% is in line with the public sector increase. A 5.4% rise will also cover childcare facilities run by Norlandia which has moved to the agreement negotiated by the Spekter employers’
ETUC celebrates 50 years at Berlin Congress
A large EPSU delegation joined hundreds of other trade unionists from across Europe to celebrate 50 years of struggle for Europe’s workers and people. We ended the ETUC Congress with the election of a new team and the adoption of an action plan titled ‘Together for a Fair Deal for Workers in Europe’.
Nursing union highlights staffing challenge
The NSF nursing union reports that the latest data from the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration reveals a shortage of 4650 nurses and 700 specialist nurses, making it the occupational group with by far the greatest shortage in Norway. They account, in fact, for more than 10% of the total shortage. The NSF says that the figures have never been so bad, excluding the impact of the pandemic in 2021-22 and there is a rising cost to the health system with NOK 2.4 billion (€208 million) spent last year on temporary nursing staff. The union is calling for urgent action on pay and workloads in
Private sector agreement delivers for lower paid
Following targeted strike action, trade unions covered by the main private sector agreement with the NHO employers’ organisation have negotiated an hourly increase of NOK 7.5 (€0.65) for all workers plus an extra NOK 3.00 (€0.25) for the lower paid. The lower paid are categorised as workers in collective agreements where the average wage is 90% of the industry-wide average wage. For workers where pay is below 90% of the industry average and where there is no local bargaining the additional increase will be NOK 4.00 (€0.35). The LO trade union confederation sees this as one of the best deals
Union action secures another pensions success in childcare
Following a successful strike over pensions at the PBL employers’ organisation, the Fagforbundet trade union has managed to secure improved occupational pensions for employees in kindergartens covered by the NHO Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise. The four-week strike in NHO companies ended on 17 March with negotiations guaranteeing that the portion of public subsidies intended for pension purposes will be fully applied and that savings rates for pensions will also be guaranteed rather than varying from one kindergarten to another. The deal also means that employers are not tempted to