A few weeks after Eric’s (7) strike at school, it was Anna’s (5) kindergarten turn.
– It’s tiring, says mother Silje Listol.
On Monday, 1,000 kindergarten workers in private kindergartens went on strike. Starting Thursday, the strike will increase by another 1,000.
This applies, among others, to the Reddiken Kanvas Kindergarten in Lommedalen in Bærum, where Anna Listol (5) goes.
– I will miss Emily, Hedwig, Nia, Herman, Eva, Mio, Noah. Anna says one day I will be with mom at work.
– Beyond many
Well, that’s really cool, because mom works with horses. Amma is a bit lethargic because of the strike notice again.
– I have no doubt that the nursery workers have good reason to strike, but we are tired of it. Like a school strike, it affects many people: children, parents and our employers again, Silje says.
On Saturday night, the union, Education Association and Delta, on one side, and the National Association of Private Nursery Schools (PBL) on the other, broke down arbitration.
112 private kindergartens were selected in the first round. From Thursday there will be kindergartens in Bodø, Trondheim, Bømlo, Ålesund, Kristiansand, Stavanger, Sandnes, Bergen, Oslo, Bærum, Ullensaker, Eidsvoll, Skien and Halden.
Flashback
– With closed nurseries and home offices, I get a lot of flashbacks to the corona epidemic, says Silje Leistol. He works with therapy horses at Oslo University Hospital, Gaustad Hospital, and has worked on his own throughout the pandemic.
But Aslag Listol works at KIA Bil Norge and has a lot of home office. Now it will be relevant again.
– Then I’ll probably watch TV, Anna reveals.
– and make monster claws out of paper.
The family home in Lomedalan is being renovated, so the timing for a home office could be great.
Among the lucky ones
– but we are one of the lucky ones who have two grandparents nearby. Silje says they are standing up during Corona and teachers strike, so we will get this.
However, five-year-old Anna is clear about what she misses most when not meeting her friends at kindergarten:
– Animal game! I used to play as the mother, Emily as the young man and all the others as farm animals.
– Do you know why they strike in kindergarten?
– Because they think they will get more money if they don’t go to work.
Kine Schjander-Opsahl is assistant general manager at the Reddiken Kanvas Kindergarten in Lommedalen, Anna.
– We are doing our best to make the best arrangements for children and parents in the situation we are in, so we can reduce children every day as long as the strike lasts, she says.
– Those who have lost their pension
Stephen Handel at the Education Association understands that the situation is demanding for many families affected by the prolonged school strike.
– Of course, I have to apologize for that. I understand this is a hassle. We do not strike to harm families or children or innocent third parties.
– We are striking for our rights and against an employer who wants to make kindergarten teachers pension losers compared to others, says Steffen Handel.
After two strikes called off by the government, he fears it will end up with a forced wage board again.
– Based on the reasons used, there is reason to worry that this will happen, Handel warns of further escalation.
– Very unfortunate
– Marius Iverson, communications director of the National Association of Private Nursery Schools (PBL), says that we understand the challenges that the strike poses to families there.
– It is very sad that the parties have not reached an agreement, and we are very sorry that many nurseries are unable to carry out normal operations. We know that nursery operators too.
– Was there communication between the parties?
– There is no formal communication between the parties, but Marius Iverson at PBL says PBL believes this will be a short-term strike and is ready to resume talks with other parties once the conditions are right.
“Music geek. Coffee lover. Devoted food scholar. Web buff. Passionate internet guru.”
