The Fagforbundet municipal workers union, EL&IT energy union and the large private sector union Fellesforbundet were among those supporting a day of action in protest at the proposed introduction of the European Agency Workers Directive into Norway. Over 150,000 workers came out on the streets on this behalf. Although not a member of the European Union, Norway does implement most EU directives, but on this occasion unions are concerned that the directive might provide a opening to create a two-tier system, with agency workers on inferior terms and conditions. While welcoming the part of the directive concerning equal treatment of temporary and permanent workers, the unions are particularly worried that implementation of the directive will remove several restrictions in collective agreements currently obliging employers to agree on any kinds of temporary contracts with the unions.
English: http://www.epsu.org/cob/456 ; http://www.imfmetal.org/index.cfm?c=28637&l=2
Norwegian: http://www.fagforbundet.no/forsida/?article_id=70743
This article was published in the Collective Bargaining Newsletter. It aims to facilitate information exchange between trade unions and to support the work of ETUC's collective bargaining committee. For more information, please contact the editor Maarten van Klaveren, Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Labour Studies (AIAS) M.vanKlaveren@uva.nl or the communications officer of the ETUI, Mariya Nikolova mnikolova@etui.org. You may find further information on the ETUI at www.etui.org, and on the AIAS at www.uva-aias.net. © ETUI aisbl, Brussels 2012.