The case in summary: Roy Strøksnes worked in the emergency department and claims he was offered a lower salary than what was agreed orally. The salary he was offered was NOK 297,960 in annual salary for 100 per cent work. It is not illegal to pay less, but what must be paid is often stipulated in the agreement. There is a requirement for a contract to be in place as quickly as possible, preferably before the employee starts work, says Vigleik Mikal Aas of the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority. Giving a different salary than what is verbally agreed upon during an interview is a breach of contract. Local negotiations must be carried out in order to get the right remuneration, emphasizes the Trade Union. It is regrettable if there are cases where the minimum wage is used and not the rest of the agreement, says the Trade Union. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – In the past, I have worked with a large mix of different people. That’s why I thought that this was a job that suited me, says Roy Strøksnes about working in an emergency department. In all haste, he was employed by Mottaksdrift Nor AS in 2022. According to Strøksnes, it was so busy that the contract was not presented until he had worked for just under two weeks. He says he was very surprised. NOK 297,960 in annual salary for 100 per cent work. news has seen the contract that was presented to Roy Strøksnes. The emergency department where Roy got a job opened quickly after the war in Ukraine broke out. It was located on Burøya just outside the center of Bodø. Unemployed against his will Roy Strøksnes has worked both in an office, as a carpenter and with people in challenging situations. Among other things, he has been involved in a supervisor position at Fretex. – I was there for 11-12 years. Strøksnes lost his job at Fretex in connection with restructuring. Burøya is located on the other side of the “harbour basin” in Bodø. An emergency department opened there in connection with refugees from Ukraine. Photo: Benjamin Fredriksen / Ola Helness / news – I looked for other opportunities and this job appeared. I think the work reminds me of what I had experience in since it involved working closely with people. Strøksnes says that the interview went well. According to him, he was offered a salary of NOK 350,000. – It is a low salary, but I was in a situation without a job. I thought I could start there. He never saw the salary of NOK 350,000 as anything else. Roy Strøksnes was offered an annual salary of NOK 297,960. news has spoken to the general manager and chairman of Mottaksdrift Nor AS. Their comments are further down in the matter. – I would have lost money working The emergency department was started up quickly. According to Strøksnes, there were a number of things that went quickly in the corners. Therefore, he started the job before he had signed or seen the employment contract. – I pestered and in the end they came up with a contract. It had a completely different salary than I had been predicted, he says and adds: – They had cut probably NOK 50,000. It’s petty. I was pissed off and said what I thought about that practice. Would you have accepted a salary below NOK 300,000? After the contract was put on the table, Strøksnes worked until the week before he quit. Working for less than NOK 300,000 was out of the question. – The calculation was simple. Including petrol and tolls, I would lose money working versus receiving unemployment benefits. Known challenge for Nav Photo: Kai Jæger Kristoffersen / news Cathrine Stavnes, director of Nav Nordland, explains to news that they are aware of challenges related to the fact that some people can “lose” money in going from part-time work and unemployment benefits to 100% employment. – It may be the case with some, yes, and basically the job seeker has to take the job. It is then important for us to communicate that it will pay off in the long run. Stavnes refers to the National Insurance Act, which states that a person is entitled to unemployment benefits if they are actively looking for work. However, the salary must be according to the tariff or custom. – For those concerned, it could be a difficult situation, but we can only say that this is how the law works. – Does Nav have any opportunity to influence a possible low salary? – It is basically outside our mission. But in some cases where an employer is struggling to get hold of labour, we can let them know that it might be easier to get hold of people if they do something with their wages. Minimum wage only for some Roy was not satisfied with the salary. He quit his job. But is it illegal to pay less than NOK 300,000 to employees? Vigleik Mikal Aas in the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority explains to news that there are only some occupations that have a statutory minimum wage. – In Norway, there are nine industries that are regulated by minimum wages. For all others, any collective agreements through organization apply. Professions with a minimum wage In Norway, there is no general statutory minimum wage, with the exception of employees in nine industries. There is a minimum wage in these industries: Construction Cleaning Accommodation, catering and catering The shipping and shipyard industry Agriculture and horticulture Fishing industry companies Electrical Goods transport by road Passenger transport by tour car In other words, it is not illegal to pay less. It is a matter of agreement between employer and employee. Despite the fact that low wages are not illegal, there are other things that may violate the Working Environment Act. – The contract must be in place as soon as possible, and preferably before the employee starts work. This is precisely to avoid misunderstandings and disagreements about what has been agreed. Vigleik Mikal Aas tells news that there are strict rules around employment contracts. Photo: Arbeidstilsynet Giving a salary other than what is verbally agreed upon during an interview is also not allowed. – If the employer pays out something else, or gives a contract that is in conflict with what was verbally agreed, then it is a breach of contract. The challenge, however, is that without writing, neither party has any proof of what has been agreed. – In line with the collective agreement, the emergency department in question was closed down after a few months of operation. The company behind it is Mottaksdrift NOR AS. Chairman Jann Werner Jansen tells news that it is difficult to check the factual basis for the claim that Strøksnes was first offered a higher salary. – If this should be the case, it is of course very regrettable. He goes on to say that you employees must actually sign contracts before they start work. He considers the fact that it did not happen for Strøksnes a failure in the routines. – As chairman of Mottaksdrift AS, I am concerned that our employees have a good workplace in an exciting and good working environment. There must be the right salary conditions with regard to position and seniority. According to Jansen, the salary that was finally offered was in line with the collective agreement. – In this case, the employee must have been presented with an employment contract in line with the collective agreement. MINIMUM WAGE: Agreement 453 between NHO and LO/Fagforbundet has been renegotiated, but the minimum rate was NOK 297,960 when Roy Strøksnes got a job. The chairman refers to agreement 453 between the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions and the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions. – On a general basis, Mottaksdrift Nor AS wants to be a good employer with competitive conditions. Beyond this, we have no occasion or wish to publicly comment on our employees’ pay conditions. The collective agreement was renegotiated for the last time on 15 May 2023. It was then agreed on a minimum wage rate of NOK 335,875 a year for those without education requirements. UDI uses 453 as a basis The chairman of Mottaksdrift NOR AS informs news that they refer to collective agreement 453 as this is used as a basis for UDI. Rune Holiløkk Vordahl, regional director of UDI, tells news that when they enter into agreements with suppliers about operations, there is a requirement that pay and working conditions are no worse than those that follow the general collective agreement, or the applicable nationwide collective agreement for the industry in question. – In areas covered by regulations on generalized collective agreements, the supplier must ensure that employees in its own organization and employees of any subcontractors who directly contribute to the fulfillment of the contract do not have worse pay and working conditions than what follows from the current regulations. He adds that where there is no general collective agreement, the suppliers must in the same way ensure that their own and any subcontractors’ employees do not have worse pay and working conditions than what follows from the applicable nationwide collective agreement for the industry in question. Agreement 453 may quickly become relevant: – If the supplier has not at the latest at the conclusion of the contract identified and informed about a current nationwide collective agreement, Agreement 453 between NHO and LO/Fagforbundet with associated protocols and amendments is used as a basis. news has asked what UDI thinks about a salary level described in this case. UDI has not answered the question. – Underpayment which is absolutely horrible The trade union has helped to negotiate the aforementioned collective agreement. Anne Green Nilsen, member of the central working committee, explains that the minimum wage in the collective agreement is only a starting point. – In order to get the right remuneration here, local work must be carried out so that the salary ends up at a higher level than the minimum wage. In the agreement, there are clauses that state that local negotiations must be carried out. – The minimum wage shall not be used. This is a floor that should be the basis for something more, says Nilsen and adds: – That is why it is a great shame if someone uses the minimum wage, but not the rest of the agreement. Anne Green Nilsen in the Trade Union says the salary level in this example is a form of dumping of salary level for a work group society has great use for right now. Photo: Fagforbundet – What do you think about someone being presented with the minimum wage in a contract? – I think that is absolutely terrible. It is a weakness when someone gets information about using this agreement, uses a bit of it and pays accordingly. – This is an underpayment that is absolutely horrible. Should you be organized? Anne Green Nilsen, a member of the central working committee in the Trade Union, tells news that organization is something everyone should consider. – It is important that employees do not stand with hat in hand and settle for such conditions as described in this case. She adds: – The fact that you can collectively sit down to negotiate with an employer is extremely important in order to get a decent salary in various areas and industries. Vigleik Mikael Aas in the Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority emphasizes that employers should also consider organisation. – It is a mark of quality that the employers are organised. The Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority recommends that both employers and employees be organised, this ensures a safe and good framework for both parties. – But if neither the employee nor the employer is organised, surely nothing illegal is being done? – No. When no one is organised, anything can be offered, and anything can be accepted, Nilsen replies. – But this will be a form of dumping of the wage level for a working group that society has great use for right now. Hey Hey! Do you have opinions on the matter? Or tips for other matters? Send me an email!
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Received a salary of less than NOK 300,000 – earned more from receiving unemployment benefit – news Nordland
