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4 August, 2005ICEM News release No. 37/2000
80,000 workers across Norway will launch an indefinite strike from 6.00 a.m. local time on 3 May, the national union federation LO announced this afternoon.
This means that over a third of all the country's private sector union members will take industrial action next week - and many more could be called out if the dispute drags on.
The strike call follows a membership vote to reject a mediated settlement covering much of the private sector. 64.3 percent of the votes cast were against the proposed settlement, which was reached at the beginning of this month.
The strikers will include 5,000 chemical and allied workers organised in the NKIF union, which is affiliated at the global level to the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM). Sectors affected will include cement, explosives, rubber products, paints, plastics and oil-based products. At the same time, warning will be given of strike action by another 500 chemical workers from 15 May onwards, when their agreements expire. For public health reasons, however, the pharmaceutical industry is among the sectors exempted from the strike.
In oil and gas, members of the ICEM-affiliated NOPEF union in a number of onshore ancillary services and catering will strike from 3 May.
However, NOPEF says that Norwegian oil output "will not be needlessly affected at this stage of the dispute."
Members of ICEM-affiliated general workers' union Fellesforbundet will strike in a number of sectors, including asphalt production.
Electricity workers in the ICEM-affiliated EL&IT union are not involved in the dispute at present, but could become so after 15 May, when their own agreement expires.
Similarly, a further 10,000 NKIF members in the electrochemical industry, including Norsk Hydro, could join the action after 31 May, when their present agreement runs out.
This means that over a third of all the country's private sector union members will take industrial action next week - and many more could be called out if the dispute drags on.
The strike call follows a membership vote to reject a mediated settlement covering much of the private sector. 64.3 percent of the votes cast were against the proposed settlement, which was reached at the beginning of this month.
The strikers will include 5,000 chemical and allied workers organised in the NKIF union, which is affiliated at the global level to the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM). Sectors affected will include cement, explosives, rubber products, paints, plastics and oil-based products. At the same time, warning will be given of strike action by another 500 chemical workers from 15 May onwards, when their agreements expire. For public health reasons, however, the pharmaceutical industry is among the sectors exempted from the strike.
In oil and gas, members of the ICEM-affiliated NOPEF union in a number of onshore ancillary services and catering will strike from 3 May.
However, NOPEF says that Norwegian oil output "will not be needlessly affected at this stage of the dispute."
Members of ICEM-affiliated general workers' union Fellesforbundet will strike in a number of sectors, including asphalt production.
Electricity workers in the ICEM-affiliated EL&IT union are not involved in the dispute at present, but could become so after 15 May, when their own agreement expires.
Similarly, a further 10,000 NKIF members in the electrochemical industry, including Norsk Hydro, could join the action after 31 May, when their present agreement runs out.