Saliba Andreas Korkunc (H), Oslo’s health council, recently told news about the “Task sharing project” and how this helps to get the long-term unemployed into work. The aim of the project is to relieve nurses and healthcare workers, and give them more time to work on the tasks they are trained for. Stig Berntsen, chief shop steward for the Trade Union in the Norwegian Health Authority. Photo: Julia Thommessen / news This is done by putting the long-term unemployed to do tasks that do not require education, such as making beds, washing medical equipment and heating food. Now the Trade Union is reacting strongly to Oslo municipality taking credit for getting the long-term unemployed into work. – It is insanely rude of the city council to say on TV that they have given employment to the long-term unemployed, says Stig Berntsen, chief shop steward in the Trade Union Confederation of Health Services. He believes, on the contrary, that this is something the city council did not want. news has seen the e-mail exchange between the municipality and the Trade Union. It is only after several reminders and a notice of lawsuit from the Trade Union that two long-term unemployed who have been part of the project get permanent jobs. More people on temporary contracts A third long-term unemployed is said to have had his contract terminated on the same day that the politicians boasted about the project on TV, according to the Trade Union. The union representatives are now demanding a job for the person in question. City councilor for social services Julianne Ferskaug (V) claimed that Oslo municipality’s project was a “win-win” for the whole society” Photo: Christian Ziegler Remme / news When health council Korkunc and city councilor for social services Julianne Ferskaug met with news at the Kommunal aktut dinnenhet (KAD) designated they saw the project as a win-win situation, and hoped more municipalities would follow Oslo’s example. – The municipality did not intend to create a single position. And they also did not intend that any of these would remain in work, claims Berntsen in the Trade Union. According to the Trade Union, the municipality offered temporary contracts when the project was finished. The trade union believed this was illegal, partly because the work tasks were permanent. – A chance to show off Health Council Korkunc now tells news that Oslo municipality’s purpose with the project is to give the long-term unemployed a chance – but at the same time emphasizes that it is not a job guarantee. Health councilor Saliba Andreas Korkunc (H) clarifies that Oslo municipality’s project is to give the long-term unemployed a chance to show themselves. Photo: Christian Ziegler Remme / news – Usually, as an employer, the municipality will have less chance of hiring these. Unfortunately, that is the way it is, and that is why they are long-term unemployed, he says. Korkunc believes the long-term unemployed would not have had the opportunity to show themselves without the project. – If the Trade Union gets what they want, such projects will unfortunately not be possible to carry out, says Korkunc. – Many people want a job According to the health council, the “Project division of tasks” has been completed at the Municipal acute day care unit (KAD) but continues at a nursing home and at adapted housing in the capital. Here, the long-term unemployed are associated in such a way that it will be more difficult for the shop stewards to demand permanent employment on their behalf, the city council believes. – Oslo municipality is struggling and would prefer not to employ anyone permanently, that is our impression, says chief union representative Stig Berntsen. According to him, many of the permanent employees work part-time, and this affects women to a great extent since women are in the majority in the Norwegian Health Agency. Every year, the Trade Union has dozens of cases where they have to demand an increased percentage of employment or permanent jobs for employees in the Norwegian Health Agency in Oslo. – When so many people want to work more or get a permanent job, it sounds strange when the politicians say they are short of people, notes Berntsen. – But these were long-term unemployed, is it any wonder that the municipality wants to test them out a little longer? – These had already been working for several months. In addition, all permanent positions in the municipality have a trial period of six months, points out chief shop steward Berntsen. Great need for health personnel Oslo municipality, like many other Norwegian municipalities, has a great need for more employees in health and care. Norway may lack as many as 28,000 nurses in 2035, according to figures from Statistics Norway. But nurses and skilled health personnel are also used for tasks that do not require education, including bed washing, dusting and kitchen tasks, shows a survey from Oslo municipality. This was the background for “Project division of tasks”. Published 24/08/2024, at 09.09
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Believes the Oslo city council took credit for the union representative’s job – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
