Recruitment & organising, Health, Norway

(August 2016) The NSF nurses' union is hoping that mediation will resolve its dispute with the NHO Service private employers' organisation. The NSF is concerned that the pay and conditions offered by NHO Service employers are falling behind those in the public sector, with pay rises in particular failing to keep up with those negotiated with the KS public sector employers' organisation. NHO Service did not respond to the NSF's claims at the latest negotiations and so mediation is due to take place at the end of August. If the mediation is unsuccesful then the NSF will conside strike action

(September 2016) The NSF nurses' union has said it supports the strike action by doctors and psychologists who are in dispute with the Spekter employers' organisation over work plans and rotas. The strike action, coordinated by the Akademikerne federation, began on 7 September and has been stepped up four times since then. Trade unions are concerned that the move by employers is not only a threat to workers' health and safety as well as the quality of service to patients but also reflects a broader attempt to individualise workplace relations.

(April 2017) Workers employed by a range of companies providing private and public services, including health and social care, are set to benefit from a new pay deal negotiated with the Spekter employers' organisation. There will be a basic increase of NOK 975 (EUR 110) a year with an additional NOK 2925 (EUR 320) for employees earning less than NOK 407265 (EUR 44820). In addition to these general increases there will be local pay rises that will be negotiated in the weeks up to the beginning of May.

(June 2017) The NSF nurses' union is supporting a strike of its members at the Cancer Society. The union wants to defend its members' pay and conditions and the right to strike in the face of changes introduced by the Cancer Society when it switched its membership to the NHO employers' organisation. The NSF argues that not only does this mean a worsening of the pay and conditions of nurses but gives the Society the right to unilaterally terminate an agreement. The strike is getting widespread support from trade unions and other bodies, including pensioner organisations. EPSU sent a message of

(July 2017) Nurses at the Cancer Society, members of the NSF nurses' union, are continuing their strike action. They are taking action in protest at the Cancer Society's failure to guarantee employees' pay and conditions following the decision to join a different employers' organisation. The nurses are travelling around the country to communicate their message and the importance of defending their existing rights on wages and other conditions.

The NSF nurses' trade union organised a rally outside parliament on 10 August and were joined by representatives of other unions, including Fagforbundet, Unio and the LO trade union confederation. The unions expressed support for the NSF's long-running strike against the Cancer Society. The unions say the strike is important action in protest against the Society's decision to move from one employers' organisation to another to take advantage of a different collective agreement, with poorer terms and conditions for workers.

Nurses at the Cancer Society, supported by their union, the NSF, are continuing their strike in protest at the Society's decision to switch employer organisations to take advantage of a poorer collective agreement. This is the longest strike in the union's history (see first epsucob@NEWS report in issue 10) and the NSF says it is gaining more and more support.

The strike by nurses at the Norwegian Cancer Society has passed the 100-day mark and the NSF trade union is determined to maintain the action. The strike, the longest by nurses in Norway, is in protest at the Society's decision to switch employer organisations and by so doing sign up to a different collective agreement which means poorer pay and conditions for the nurses. The strike has received widespread support not only from the trade union movement but also from patient and retirement associations.

Nurses employed by the Cancer Society will see their pay and conditions protected after the longest strike ever organised by the NSF nurses' union. The strike was called when the employers moved to a new employers' organisation with a poorer collective agreement. The new agreement will protect the union's right to strike and ensure that industry-standard minimum pay rates apply.

The Fagforbundet public services trade union has called on municipalities to end any contracts with the Orange nursing staff agency. Local authorities in Oslo and Bergen have already terminated contracts with the company following evidence of its infringement of various regulations including health and safety law. The company also failed to maintain services to users and to comply with demands from the authorities to meet the terms of its contract. Fagforbundet says the company is also guilty of paying wages well below the sector agreement while press reports have revealed the company's tax

Public sector unions have negotiated a new public sector-wide pension scheme that they are recommending to members who will vote on whether or not to accept the new arrangements. The scheme will be introduced from 2020 for all workers born in 1963 or later. The unions are pleased with the result which they say produces a gender-neutral scheme and will see members earning pension entitlement on all their earnings from day one of employment. There will also be early retirement provisions for those who need it.

The public services unions Fagforbundet and Delta and the NSF nurses' union have signed a declaration with the KS municipal employers' organisation calling for further co-operation to create a culture of full-time work in the sector. The unions want to see a reduction in part-time work which leads to part time workers, the vast majority of whom are women, losing out, particularly in terms of their pension benefits. While some steps have been taken, the unions are still concerned that there is too much part-time work, especially in the health and social care sectors. A website has been set up

Trade unions in the municipal sector are pleased with the new collective agreement which they say recognises workers' competences, will encourage training and education as well as recruitment to the sector. The unions believe that the pay increases reflect skills at all levels whether based on formal qualifications or experience and will contribute to closing the gender pay gap. All workers will get an increase of NOK 5000 (EUR 515) a year and there are also increases to allowances for night and weekend work.

Health workers employed by hospitals covered by the Spekter employers' organisation will see pay increases of between 3.5% and 5%. The lower pay grades will get a NOK 16000 (EUR 1670) increase and this will take the minimum wage on the pay scale to NOK 314000 (EUR 32740). Other workers will generally get a 3.5% increase although there are higher increases for certain senior and management positions. The unions negotiating the deal say this agreement reflects the general pay trends across the economy.