After 12 hours of overtime negotiations on Saturday, the representatives for harbor employees and dockworkers reached a settlement on wage issues that averted a strike threatened to begin during the weekend.
They have not agreed, however, on how the settlement won by the labour organization, Norsk Transportarbeiderforbund (NTF), will affect operations at habors run by private operators.
Both sides thus decided to postpone any further action or strikes over the issue until June, when it’s all due to come up in court. Saturday’s settlement won’t be part, therefore, of ongoing conflicts over operations at the Risavika terminal in Rogaland and sympathy strikes in Mosjøen and Tromsø.
Labour conflicts have simmered at Norwegian harbours for months, over who has the right to load and unload vessels. The recent flare-up threatened to shut down operations at 21 harbors around the country but now operations are expected to continue as normal, for now.
newsinenglish.no staff
