New metal sector agreement in Norway

NORWAY: Fellesforbundet announced on April 30 that its metalworking members had voted in support of a new sector collective agreement for two years that is estimated to result in an increase of three per cent.

The agreement between Norsk Industri and Fellesforbundet, which was reached through mediated negotiation on April 11 and then put to a vote by members, provides for:

A general wage increase of NOK 1 (0.13Euro) per hour in companies with the right to local wage negotiations

A general wage increase NOK 1.50 (0.20Euro) per hour in companies without the right to local wage negotiations

A local addition of NOK 0.50 (0.07Euro) per hour per worker to level out documented discriminating low wages for women in any given workplace. If no discrimination is found, NOK 0.50 shall be given to all workers.

The union also managed a total rebuttal of the employers demand for lower minimum wages, achieving new improved minimum wages in the new agreement.

Together with government the parties will set up sector based programs to promote a serious and well functioning labor market in particularly exposed sectors. The parties agree to a new regime for rotation schedules for workers who work away from home an issue that has been a problem for some time.

The results achieved in the negotiations in the metal sector have begun to have a decisive impact on other sectors, including construction and hotels and restaurants and the rest of Norwegian industry and the public sector are expected to follow.

Fellesforbundet president Arve Bakke is satisfied with the results. "We have secured increased purchasing power for all our members. The result also gives an extra increase for the lowest paid and we have constructed a model intended to level out discriminatory inequalities in pay between men and women in the individual company," said Arve Bakke.