On the night of Saturday, there was a breach in the settlement for private kindergarten employees. The Education Association, the Trade Union and Delta did not reach an agreement with PBL. On Monday, 78 kindergartens in Oslo and Viken will be affected by the strike, 27 in Rogaland, five in Møre and Romsdal and two in Trøndelag. Andrea Sørbøe Aarsæther herself has a child who attends Strutsen Naturbarnehage in Sandnes, which is one of the nurseries that has been hit hard. – It is clear that not being able to send the children to kindergarten, when I myself have a workplace that I have to go to, creates challenges, says the mother of young children. In addition, she is the general manager of a company, where one of the employees also has children in the same strike-affected nursery school. Andrea Sørbøe Aarsæther says she has received good information from the strike-affected kindergarten. Photo: Mathias Oppedal / news Thinks it is necessary – Everyday logistics become more difficult, when you have to cover your own absence at work, and be at home with your own children, says Sørbøe Aarsæther. But despite the fact that the strike may cause logistical problems, she fully understands the strike and believes it is absolutely necessary. – It is important to me that those who look after the children every day, that they have a good time at work and good conditions and opportunities in their work. Sørbøe Aarsæther says they have received good information from her nursery. She has been offered what the kindergarten calls “childcare” for two days next week with reduced opening hours. Strutsen Naturbarnehage in Sandnes is one of the nurseries that has been hit hard by the strike. Photo: Mathias Oppedal / news – I appreciate that the nursery organizes in this way, at the same time it affects differently and does not fit as well, but we make the best of it, says Sørbøe Aarsæther. – Ready for battle Are Sebastian Mortveit is educational manager at Strutsen Naturbarnehage, where they usually have 48 employees, but are now reduced by 25 due to the strike. They must go from “ordinary kindergarten operation” to “kindergarten pass”. Are Sebastian Mortveit, educational manager at Strutsen Naturbarnehage, says they are ready for battle. Photo: Mathias Oppedal / news – We don’t have the personnel to have all the children here every day. We will be half of the staff, and then half of the children will be. They must therefore reduce the opening hours, and distribute groups of children on different days. – We are ready for battle, and can hold it for quite a while, says Mortveit, who is ready for his first strike. But he is also worried about the parents and the children. – It will probably be heavy. It will be tiring for parents. The children will probably feel it the most. – Apologies to parents and children Confederation leader of the Trade Union, Mette Nord, says that they are striking for a fair pension for all those who work in the private kindergartens, and who are organized in PBL. – The matter concerns that the employees in these kindergartens must have the same private contractual pension, as everyone else in Norwegian working life has. We believe this is an obvious right for those who work in private daycares, says Nord. Mette Nord, confederation leader of the Trade Union, says that the will to strike is great. Photo: Gunnar Bratthammer / news But the National Association of Private Nursery Schools believes these are irresponsible and unrealistic demands. The union leader says that the distance between the parties was so great on the night of Saturday that they saw no point in continuing. On Thursday, they announced the increase of another 400 employees. – It is the employers here who must take the whole and full responsibility. We apologize to both parents and children that they will be affected by what is now happening. – How is the will to strike? – It is big, states the union leader. Thinks the kindergartens have a very good pension Espen Rokkan, head of negotiations in PBL, says that the reason for the breach is a surprising, extensive and thus expensive claim related to AFP and pension. – That in a year where the kindergartens have very strained finances, and very little room for action. The parties are aware of this, but they still choose to make some demands, and that makes it impossible for us to agree. Espen Rokkan, head of negotiations in PBL, believes that the kindergartens have a good pension. He does not agree that PBL should take full responsibility, as the union leader stated. Rokkan believes that this is a demand for an arrangement that the two parties agreed on in 2019. – Then they have changed their minds and want something else. That’s fine, but that doesn’t mean that this is something we haven’t delivered on. The nurseries have a very good pension from PBL to this day, Rokkan believes.
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