Dear members,
This year's state wage settlement is a main agreement negotiation, meaning the parties are bargaining not only on pay, but also on the content of the main collective agreement itself. This makes the process more comprehensive than a standard interim settlement.
Breakdown in negotiations
Unio and Akademikerne failed to reach an agreement with the state before the deadline of 30 April. According to Unio's chief negotiator, Steinar Sæther, the gap between the parties was too wide, and the state's offer simply not good enough – something he noted stands in contrast to the state's own stated goal of retaining and recruiting staff in a competitive labour market.
The core dispute is twofold: Unio and Akademikerne are demanding solid real wage growth, and want the entire pay pot distributed locally at each individual workplace. The state, on the other hand, wants a single unified collective agreement for all state employees – something Unio and Akademikerne cannot accept.
Mediation and the risk of strike action
The parties will meet for mediation with the National Mediator (Riksmekleren) on 7 May, with a deadline of midnight on 28 May. If no agreement is reached by then, strike action may follow. A potential strike could affect day-to-day operations at UiA.
The local branch of the Norwegian Association of Researchers (Forskerforbundet) at UiA will keep you updated as the situation develops. Please don't hesitate to contact your local representative if you have any questions.
You can also find more information here:
https://www.forskerforbundet.no/en/salary/news-about-salary-settlements/samleside
