The parties in the kindergarten strike met again for talks at the Riksmekleren at 12 noon on Tuesday after yesterday’s talks did not lead to anything. Just before 1:30 p.m., the parties notify that they still have not reached an agreement. – The parties do not wish to continue this voluntary mediation. We have therefore just finished, says mediator Geir Engebretsen to news. New escalation – We are very disappointed that we were also unable to reach an agreement now. Now we will step up the strike tomorrow, says union leader in Delta, Trond Ellefsen. The escalation on Wednesday concerns a further 700 employees, mainly from kindergartens in Bodø, Bergen, Askøy, Øygarden and on Karmøy. With this withdrawal, a total of over 3,000 employees will be on strike. – I hope PBL goes home and thinks about it, that they become a little more creative in their proposals to us and that they go further than what they have done these days. We have come a long way, says Ellefsen. – What must PBL do? – They must give us an AFP arrangement on the same level as the others. Our members mostly want to go to work and look after children. We get strong support from the parents, despite the fact that they now have a more difficult everyday life. It shows that we are right in our demands, he says. Now there are no plans to meet again before the parties meet for new mediation on 15 November at the Ombudsman. This is a mandatory mediation meeting parties in strike are called to when the strike has lasted 30 days. The strike among employees in private kindergartens has lasted since 15 October. The reason is that there was a breach in the mediation in this year’s salary settlement between the National Association of Private Nursery Schools (PBL) and the Trade Unions, the Education Association and Delta. The parties disagree about, among other things, the pension scheme for the employees in private kindergartens. The fisherman has become a babysitter – It has become a slightly different everyday life both for us adults and for the children. Fisherman Lars Sakseide at Bømlo has a day off. It turned out to be a good solution for busy parents during the kindergarten strike. In addition to her own four-year-old, her sister’s one- and three-year-old sit and watch children’s TV. – We have to step in when the kindergartens stop, says the fisherman. The family is one of many who have been affected by the kindergarten strike. In Bømlo, six out of eight kindergartens are paralyzed by strikes. – With us, four out of seven departments are completely closed, and many children have not had an offer since 27 October, says Heine Larsen, who is a board member at Espira Salamonsogen nursery school. Supporting the strikers For Lars Sakseide, looking after the three children has mostly gone well, but there has been a lot of logistics, he says. – Bømlo is a small place and the strike affects many of the people who live here. It is crucial that someone can look after the children so that the adults can get to work, he says. – What do you think about the strike then? – I understand very well that the employees in the nursery school are on strike, but yes, it will be a burden on all the rest of us and thus a somewhat complicated situation, says Sakseide. – I hope that they get through what they are striking for and that it can work out for all parties. BREAKFAST ICE CREAM: Being looked after by a kind uncle and dad has its advantages, think Tiril and Jenny Sakseide Habbestad and Ola Evertsen Sakseide. Photo: Eli Bjelland
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A further 700 employees will be laid off on Wednesday – news Vestland
