In the first round, 452 postal workers will go on strike, in and around Oslo, Greenland, Stavanger, Sola and Trondheim.
– This is a huge withdrawal. National mediator Mats Ruland says the strike will have immediate, major consequences.
Mediation meeting between LO Stat and Employers Association commodity Wednesday started at 10:00. If the parties don’t reach an agreement by midnight, they say, it could be the first strike in Boston in decades. Free trade union movement.
Ruland, who is leading the talks, thinks it’s too early to say whether the parties will reach a settlement before midnight and eventually more time in mediation.
– It is too early to clarify anything, but I think it is possible to reach an agreement, he says.
State mediator: Mats Ruland.
Photo: Håkon Mosvold Larsen / NTB
Warns of rapid escalation
The possible strike applies to postmen in and around Oslo, Trondheim, Sola, Stavanger and Greenland. Staff at Østlands Terminal in Lørenskog, where mail is sorted and prepared for the entire country.
Gerd Øiahals, head of the postal and finance union, says all members at Posten Norge have announced their resignations. We are talking about 6,500 employees.
– If the strike becomes a reality, it will escalate relatively quickly, says Øiahals.
President: Gerd Ihals at Trade Union Post and Finance.
Photo: Birgit Dannenberg
The reason the parties are negotiating now is that more than half of the members voted no to the salary offer, the main point of which is an additional NOK 15,800. They believe it is too low to maintain purchasing power.
– Posten has had good results throughout the pandemic. People want a greater share of profits.
Online shopping can be affected
Industrial Directors i NHO Service and TradingLinda Wist says the consequences of a potential strike could be large depending on how long it lasts and how many are made redundant.
– There are many packages and letters to send and deliver. If there was a strike, parcels would pile up at the terminal, says Wist.
Industrial Director: Linda Wist.
Photo: NHO Service and Trade
She highlights the resulting delays.
– Many Norwegians shop online. People expect to receive the package at their doorstep the day after placing the order. Consumers expect a faster process.
Online shopping accounts for 15 percent of Norwegians’ total shopping. Before the pandemic, the percentage was seven.
Follows the situation
According to online store Minto, if there is a strike, their customers will not be able to receive their parcels in their mailboxes. But customers can pick up their items at the post office or at the store.
– Everyone will receive their parcels, but delivery time may be affected if the strike escalates. Currently, only one of our delivery services is affected, says Jake Peterson, director of business development at Minto.
– But if there is a long strike, we have to consider how to solve it.
Online store Nelly says they are following the situation closely.
– Nellie’s operations director Stefan Svensson says that we are in dialogue with our suppliers about how our customers in Norway may be affected by the strike and what measures we can take if so.
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