Minister of Labor Marte Mjøs Persen (Labor Party) uses compulsory wage board – NRK Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
Minister of Labor Marte Mjøs Persen (Labor Party) is using a forced wage board to stop the oil strike, she informs NRK.
From midnight, the workers’ organization Lederne took 74 members on strike, which meant that the oil fields Gudrun, Oseberg Sør and Oseberg Øst were closed.
On Wednesday, an escalation of the strike with 117 more members was announced. A further escalation on Saturday would have resulted in a total of 382 members going on strike.
– Unjustifiable
The Minister of Labor believes that the consequences of the situation in Europe are now unjustifiable.
With the announced strike from 9 July, more than half of Norway’s daily gas exports will fall away, the government writes in a press release.
This will lead to serious consequences for gas deliveries to Europe and the EU, according to the Minister of Labor.
– It is unjustifiable to let gas production stop to such an extent that it is estimated that this strike in the next few days will lead to, says Persen.
She therefore called the parties to the conflict to a meeting at 8 pm tonight.
– They said that here there was no possibility of reaching an agreement, says the Minister of Labor.
The employer side is happy: The strikers are surprised
The leaders went on strike for more pay to meet the general rise in prices in society.
The leader of the union, Audun Ingvartsen, is following E24 surprised that the government intervened less than a day into the strike.
– I am surprised that Norwegian oil and gas have not come to meet us so that we could solve this as parties, but it is not so strange when they wait for the government to come to solve for them, says Ingvartsen.
But he respects Persen’s foundations.
– I respect the government’s founding, he says to E24
Norwegian oil and gas says they are satisfied that the government is now intervening in the conflict.
– We are pleased that the government understands the seriousness of the situation and takes action to ensure Norway’s good reputation as a reliable and stable supplier of natural gas to Europe, says chief negotiator and director of working life Elisabeth Brattebø Fenne to NTB.
Concern in Europe
Some escalation was a fact, the industry organization Norwegian Oil and Gas estimated that the loss of revenue will be 1.8 billion kroner daily.
Analyst Tore Guldbrandsøy in Rystad Energy told NRK earlier today that the strike created concern in Europe.
– There is an energy crisis in Europe, and they lack gas. This, of course, is strongly linked to the war in Ukraine. There is also a large loss of additional gas production from Russia, he said in the case which you can read by clicking on the link below.