Norwegian teachers claim victory as strike ends
The teachers’ strike in Norway has ended after two months with a new agreement reached between the Union of Education Norway (UEN) and employers. At its height at the beginning of this school year, nearly 8,000 UEN members were out on strike.
The UEN won its fight against a proposal that would have forced them to spend 7.5 hours per day at school. This was a major point of contention with union members.
The labour dispute was triggered following a strike vote in late June and, over the summer, the number of picketing teachers steadily increased.
EI: Popular support for right to strike
“We commend our Norwegian colleagues for their success in keeping the teachers’ necessary flexibility and autonomy in their profession,” said EI General Secretary Fred van Leeuwen. “At the same time, this is a victory for the social dialogue system, helping reach an agreement without the interference from an external party.”
‘The success of the teachers’ action’, he said, ‘was helped by the fact that the Norwegian people completely supported the teachers’ right to strike’.
