Unio, the Norwegian workers’ union, will enter negotiations with the Norwegian government on reducing the wage gap between public and private sector workers, including scientists.
The negotiations are supported by the Forskerforbundet, the Norwegian union for researchers. The union is expected to address what it perceives to be a rising wage gap between highly educated workers in public institutions, and those who work for private companies.
“Unio demands additional assurance [from the government] to make sure that proper wages are paid to its members,” said Anders Folkestad, the leader of Unio, in a statement published by the Forskerforbundet.
Negotiations with Norway’s government are set to start on 10 April. Besides higher wages, the union also demands better visibility for public sector research, and more job security for scientists at the lower end of the public employment spectrum.
The initial negotiations will take place in Oslo only, but Unio has said that it will incorporate regional and local governments in these discussions in due course.