Norway: private school teachers denied collective bargaining rights
Teachers at a privately run government school have exercised their right to strike following management’s demand that they cut their ties with the Union of Education Norway.
Seventeen teachers have been on strike since 18 March to oppose their management’s negotiation tactics.
Although privately run government-funded schools in Norway are hard to come by, their teachers still enjoy the same union affiliations as those working in fully government run schools. However, upper management at Heltberg upper secondary school, just north of Oslo, is holding collective bargaining negotiations hostage in order to change that.
Management has made it clear that the only way an agreement can be reached is if the school’s 17 teachers establish their own in-house union and end their relationship with Union of Education Norway (UEN).
“This is a clear example of union busting,” says President of Union of Education Norway and Education International (EI) Board Member, Ragnhild Lied. “Union of Education Norway is therefore on strike to demonstrate that we do not accept this kind strategy to undermine the crucial right of freedom of association to protect the members’ interests.”
The union says that the strike will continue until the right to freely associate and enter into collective agreement is respected.
