Norway has recognised International Workers' Day since it began on 1 May 1890. The year before, Norwegian society had seen some of the first successful strikes in its history, which were carried out in several sectors. One of these was the match workers' strike, where female packers at two match factories in Oslo spontaneously stopped working to protest against unhealthy work and low wages. The strike was called off and the workers' demands were not fulfilled. However, the strike created awareness of unhealthy working conditions in the industry and showed the value of trade unionism.
In Norway today, strikes are regulated within the framework of the Labour Disputes Act and under the auspices of established trade unions. They are also recognised and protected by both the Constitution and international conventions. Further, trade unions and the right to strike have created a greater equality between employers and their employees – in particular, employees are empowered to restrict the labour supply of corporations.
Working conditions have broadly improved. An eight-hour working day, which was the impetus for International Workers' Day following strikes in Chicago in the years prior to 1890, has long been the norm in most industries. The Working Environment Act is characterised by strong employee protection and, for most employers, it is a high priority to ensure that employees feel safe and well at work – not only because the law requires it, but also because it is good for business operations.
The relationship between employers and employees is also far less conflict-ridden than it was at the end of the 19th century. It has become a characteristic of the Norwegian working model that both parties in the employment relationship cooperate on various challenges, either through negotiations between the large corporations and employee organisations or through discussions and co-determination at local level. This line of cooperation gives the parties in working life stability and predictability and allows for a focus on common goals rather than clash of interests.
However, the stability and predictability that prevails in Norwegian working life today does not apply to everyone. In recent years, new ways of working have emerged and, as a result, so have new groups of workers who do not necessarily fit into the established system, such as platform workers, who work independently on a digital platform rather than for a clearly identified employer. The Norwegian government has made it a priority to put in place legal regulations that ensure the protection of these workers, while preserving the benefits of the new forms of work.
Even though the state of employment conditions in Norway has made significant improvements, there is still room for improvement. A legal instrument that will help meet these challenges going forward is the new Transparency Act, which gives larger companies a duty to provide the public with information on supply chains, including those outside the country's borders. The law, which enters into force on 1 July 2022, provide for human rights and decent working conditions to be broadly applied across whole supply chains and all business activities.
For further information on this topic please contact Ole Kristian Olsby or Lise Gran at Homble Olsby | Littler by telephone (+47 23 89 75 70) or email ([email protected] or [email protected]). The Homble Olsby | Littler website can be accessed at www.homble-olsby.no.