– By torpedoing an agreement now, NHO and the other employers are betting that the right-wing parties will win the election next year, and then achieve a cut in sick pay. That’s according to deputy chairman Steinar Krogstad in LO, who calls it both stupid and antisocial. – But the most important thing is that this does not contribute to more people being able to stay in work. The parties in working life have been involved in demanding negotiations throughout the autumn. The aim has been to come up with measures that can reduce sickness absence, which is the highest in 15 years. The employers have not wanted to protect the sick pay scheme for four new years. LO has disagreed. Sick pay must cover lost income in the event of illness and wage earners are currently entitled to full pay from the first day of illness. NHO regrets that it was not possible to reach an agreement together with LO. Managing director Ole Erik Almlid says they have proposed several solutions. Managing director Ole Erik Almlid did not want to sign an agreement that preserves the sick pay scheme for another four years. Photo: Javad Parsa / NTB – Both to use a national mediator as an aid to action and possibly to freeze sick pay for a period in order to investigate what can reduce sickness absence. Almlid says that he wants to discuss all the tools in the toolbox to reduce sickness absence, but LO has rejected the proposals they have come up with. No agreement This afternoon, Labor and Inclusion Minister Tonje Brenna announced that they will not reach the target. There will be no agreement on a new IA agreement. It is the first time in 23 years. – I find that disappointing, because I had a great desire for us to achieve this, says Brenna. The IA agreement is an agreement of intent for a more inclusive working life and the sick pay scheme is part of this agreement. It normally applies for four years at a time, and has protected the sick pay scheme since 2001. Today’s IA agreement expires at New Year’s. – Is it appropriate to resume the negotiations at some point? – I think it’s quite obvious that it is, but I don’t think it will be during December this year in any case, says Brenna. Labor and Inclusion Minister Tonje Brenna thinks it is disappointing that there was no agreement. Photo: Yann Valerievich Belov / news – Ap has enough of himself for the day – It seems that Tonje Brenna and Ap have enough of themselves for the day. At the same time, sickness absence explodes, the IA agreement collapses and a paralyzed Brenna is unable to bring the parties together in working life. That’s what Venstre leader Sveinung Rotevatn says, who calls the sick pay scheme the elephant in the room. – If anything positive is to come out of this, it must be that the political parties man up and start a discussion about the sick pay scheme, instead of pushing the parties in working life ahead of them. Henrik Asheim Høyre’s labor policy spokesman points out that the IA agreement contains many important measures to reduce sickness absence, which have committed the parties in working life. – It worries me that those tools may now disappear while we have the highest sickness absence rate in fifteen years. Asheim hopes Brenna has a plan to reduce the increasing sickness absence. Published 04.12.2024, at 20.04
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No agreement in the IA agreement – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
