It is not for optimists to settle the status quo when the teachers’ strike is well into its thirteenth week. The parties have not come a millimeter closer, the will to fight is just as great, the tone is more bitter and the politicians are reluctant to intervene. Nevertheless, it may look like it is heading towards a compulsory wage board this week. It is not unproblematic. Provocations and disservice Politicians are generally very cautious about intervening and thereby undermining the right to strike. Therefore, they are also terrified of sending signals that could be perceived as moving towards a compulsory wage board. The politicians also fear doing themselves a disservice by intervening. If it is too easy for the parties in working life not to reach an agreement, it can create new problems at the next crossroads. An additional challenge for strikers in the public sector is that they will almost always hit an innocent third party. If this is taken into account, these occupational groups will in practice have their right to strike reduced. Nevertheless, there are many indications that the overall burden on children and young people is approaching a limit for what is perceived as acceptable. Anecdotal But if a teacher’s strike is ended for reasons of life and health, it will be a completely new situation. Unlike when a house is on fire or an ambulance plane is on the ground, it is not in the same way urgent. The teachers will claim that mentally ill students can get help from the health care system even if they lose math lessons. This does not mean that the strike cannot have major negative consequences for many children and young people’s mental health. This particularly applies to vulnerable children who are dependent on support and fixed frameworks in everyday life. Therefore, a legal justification is now being sought. Anecdotal stories from principals and parents about how hard it is for children who are struggling do not hold up. It must be documented. Nor will the teachers readily accept that they should be made responsible for the pupils’ mental health. Unploughed land and the pandemic as an x-factor It is equally likely that a possible compulsory wage board will be justified by the fact that the teachers’ strike has “major social consequences”. Legal ground-breaking work is a long way off. An x-factor is the role played by the fact that we have been through a long pandemic in which many students have already lost a lot, academically as well as socially. It will probably increase the pressure to end the strike. A widespread perception is that the cost has already been high for many, and that consideration for the child’s best interests cannot be taken care of. The children’s ombudsman is, for example, concerned that municipalities do not apply for exemptions for pupils who need special education. The rationale for the compulsory wage board will probably be a balancing of three considerations: How long will the strike last? How serious are the documented consequences for children’s mental health? And what will be the total societal burden on society over time? The issue may also be whether the parties are able to reach a solution. Now it looks completely stuck. Both sides have the will to fight and refuse to give up, but can also be accused of having driven into a dead end when the negotiations have in practice come to a standstill. This also points to a need to end the strike. A gift from above? The question is whether there is a political solution that can make the teachers satisfied even if they do not meet their salary demands. There is a sigh of relief that there has not been a teacher lift since Trond Giske’s (Ap) time as Minister of Education, and no one dares to predict what is most likely to come back from a new, big teacher lift or Giske. On the other hand, there is more of an atmosphere for a boost to continuing and continuing education for teachers. Old wounds and conflicts The relationship between KS, which negotiates on behalf of the municipalities, and the teachers has never been particularly trusting. The teachers never acknowledged being transferred from the state to KS, which happened during Kristin Clemet’s (H) time as Minister of Education. It peaked when KS wanted more control over teachers’ working hours and demanded more attendance at school, which ended in a major strike in 2014. The education union believes teachers have gradually fallen behind and become wage losers. They are also not enthusiastic about what they hear from KS, which they believe is to downplay teachers’ special role and competence at a time when motivated teachers are worth their weight in gold. The Education Association believes that teachers have gradually fallen behind and become wage losers. This week the strike was stepped up. Photo: Ole Berg-Rusten / NTB Divide and rule In KS, the tone is different, to say the least. They believe the teachers make unreasonable salary demands that will come at the expense of all other professional groups in the municipality. Giving more money to teachers would mean taking money from nurses, healthcare workers and the 35 other trade unions the municipalities negotiate with. Nor will they come up with legislation that binds next year’s salary negotiations. A strike is very much about winning sympathy. Many support the teachers’ wage struggle, and the concern for the status of the teaching profession is considerable. Fewer people apply for teacher training courses, and many teachers leave the school for other jobs. At the same time, KS stands firm among its own in this battle. They believe that health and care must be prioritized, and seem to have the municipalities behind them. Therefore, several of the salary supplements have gone to groups that work in shifts at weekends and evenings. Nor has there been a cry from mayors and other local politicians that teachers must be prioritized. This means that KS confidently maintains its hard line, even if some believe they communicate as elegantly as a rhinoceros. At the same time, the KS line has considerable support in LO. The Trade Union in particular believes that the teachers have a message that goes across their line, which is “to lift the whole team”. It is not made easier by the fact that KS and the Education Association do not recognize the same numerical basis for the salary development. Great will to strike, bad chemistry You don’t need to be a great connoisseur to sense that the chemistry between the Education Association’s Steffen Handal and KS’s negotiating leader Tor Arne Gangås is not the best. The personal chemistry between the Education Association’s Steffen Handal and KS’s negotiating leader Tor Arne Gangsø does not seem to be the best. The tone between the parties has hardened recently. Photo: Terje Pedersen / NTB At the same time, the desire to strike is strong among teachers. They can also keep things going for a long time with well-filled strike boxes. At the Lecturers’ Association and the National Association of Schools, both the will to strike and the strike fund are more sluggish, but as the younger brother of the Education Association, they do not have as much say as they should have. Doesn’t solve any problems If the strike is ended through a compulsory pay committee, it will make everyday life much easier for students and parents. But for the warring parties, few or no problems will be solved. The teachers will probably be, if possible, even more disappointed with their employer, while many in the municipalities will think that the teachers whine and elevate themselves above other professional groups. In the time we are entering with empty mangers, there is a lot the horses can bite about. The teachers will probably just have to bury the dream they carry if the politicians want to once again transfer responsibility for negotiations to the state. They probably have to live with KS, but many call for a KS that better looks after and listens to the teachers. At the same time, many believe that the way teachers negotiate salaries is rigid and outdated. They believe that the school is more complex and has more diverse needs than what the teachers express. If the parties do not manage to approach each other, there is a high probability of an even bigger and more bitter strike next year. Agreeing is, as you know, a responsibility that rests on both parties. The same can be said about building trust.
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Noise and bad mood anyway – Speech
