Strike avoided in Norway as workers agree to pay deal

A strike has been avoided in several plants in Norway following mediation on oil agreement between the Norwegian Union of Energy Workers (Safe) and the Norwegian Oil and Gas Association, an employers’ organization.

To remind, the union refused to accept the negotiated result for the oil agreement, which also covers land-based facilities in Norway, and called for mediation setting a deadline for midnight on Thursday.

Around 338 workers in total from Esso Norge’s Slagentangen, Shell’s Nyhamna, and Statoil’s Melkøya had been set to strike if the deal was not reached.

The talks ran three hours past the midnight deadline but resulted in an agreement between the two sides after they accepted the proposal, the employers’ organization informed on Friday. The mediation was led by Anne Cathrine Frøstrup.

“We are pleased that the parties have agreed to mediation on a new collective agreement for the next biennium,” says chief negotiator Jan Hodneland in Norwegian Oil and Gas Association.

The convention is primarily a framework agreement, which among other things means that wages are determined / negotiated locally.

Mediation result is in accordance with the agreement in May.

Offshore Energy Today Staff