NHOLT: Norwegian Ports Not Likely to Face Strike in June

Despite a break-down in the negotiations for new collective agreements for Norwegian dockers, the workers are not expected to stage a strike in June, the Norwegian Logistics and Freight Association (NHOLT) told World Maritime News.

A representative for the association said that the strike would not be organized “due to the fact that according to Norwegian law, there must be a public arbitration before a strike can be legally started.”

“The public arbitration will take place in the mid of August so there is no possibilities for a legal strike before this.”

There are no dockers in Oslo at the moment, according to the association, because the former dockers office Oslo Loading and Unloading Office went bankrupt in May 2015, and a new dockers office has not yet established.

“The former dockers, beeing members of Oslo Bryggearbeideres Forening, are now unemployed, and the work they earlier performed is now performed by the employees of the port-operators. A “so called strike,” performed by members of Oslo Bryggearbeideres Forening, will probably only have symbolic effect,” NHOLT said.

Oslo Bryggearbeideres Forening’s spokesperson earlier said that, as there have been some changes in the mediation between the employers organisation and the transport workers union, the potential strike could take place in August.

In June 2015, Oslo dockers blocked the traffic at the container terminal in Oslo port demanding signing of a collective agreement with Turkish company Yilport.

Namely, some 60 workers reportedly staged a strike only to be ordered to clear out by the local police, despite the mediator’s authorization of the strike action.

World Maritime News Staff