The staffing industry and the commercial temp agencies have long been among the biggest targets for the left in politics. SV and Rødt want to liquidate and ban the industry, while Ap and Sp want to severely tighten hiring from staffing agencies. In Stavanger, the political leadership, led by mayor Kari Nessa Nordtun (Ap), has announced a tough fight for full-time culture and reduced use of staffing agencies in the municipality. In October at the latest, mayor Nordtun cheered that Equinor employed permanent staff instead of hiring in catering. Then, just over two weeks later, Stavanger municipality put out to tender a contract worth NOK 31 million to commercial temp agencies in kindergartens, after-school care and schools. The announcement makes business manager Arild Tjensvold at the staffing agency Hytech Personell grin. – They meet themselves at the door, says Tjensvold, who has worked in the staffing industry for 24 years. Will continue to make temporary agencies redundant The Hytech Personnel manager believes that the municipality’s need for hired temporary workers underlines what he and the staffing industry have always claimed – namely that working life needs flexibility to function. – When the public sector must exempt itself, I do not understand why the politicians do not understand that the private sector also needs this flexibility, says Tjensvold. Company manager Arild Tjensvold at the staffing company Hytech Personnel fears the consequences of the government’s bill to tighten the regulations for hiring. Photo: Hytech Personnel In the announcement, Stavanger municipality writes that pedagogues, kindergarten teachers, child and youth workers, and assistants are needed. The contract has a duration of two years and can be renewed. Speaking to news, Stavanger mayor Kari Nessa Nordtun (Ap) says that the goal is still to make temporary agencies redundant. She points out that no Norwegian municipality of a certain size has managed to become independent of commercial temp agencies. – Stavanger is among the municipalities in Norway with the strictest seriousness regulations in procurement. That is also the reason why we have a tender out for temporary services. Not because we want to use them, but because we want to have a good and orderly agreement in those cases where it becomes necessary, says Nordtun. Has spent over NOK 100 million on phasing out letting Both before and after the government proposed tightening the rules for letting, the fronts between business and the left have been fierce. The recommendation to the Storting’s labor and social affairs committee is expected in a few weeks, and in December the Storting will consider the matter. – I think this is only about ideology. At the same time, I fear for the willingness to invest in Norway if restrictions are placed on the possibility of hiring and staffing companies, says Hytech Personnel manager Tjensvold. His company supplies companies in Rogaland with technical expertise, be they engineers, warehouse workers or purchasing experts. His business is bound by collective agreements and is part of the AFP scheme. Nevertheless, he will have to dismiss employees if the government’s bill becomes a reality. – We will be able to lose some employees, but we don’t know how many, says Tjensvold. The government’s fight against hiring Before the summer, the government proposed a number of measures to limit hiring and hiring from the staffing industry: The government will abolish the possibility of hiring “when the work is of a temporary nature”. The government wants hired workers to have the right to permanent employment after a certain period of time. The government wants to have an approval scheme for staffing companies – which, among other things, involves extended documentation requirements and stricter consequences for breaking the rules. The provisional date for consideration in the Storting is 12 December. Source: regjeringen.no and stortinget.no Ap mayor Nordtun tells news that, in contrast to the right, she does not see the hiring of substitutes in the health, education and care sector as a good permanent arrangement. Therefore, the political majority has spent over NOK 100 million on full, permanent positions since they took office in 2019. The fight against hiring and commercial agencies will continue unabated in the years to come. The aim is still to phase out the use of temp agencies, assures the mayor. – We have initiated extensive work in Stavanger to completely change how we cover sickness and absence in the organisation. The easiest thing would have been to continue as the right-hand side by renting, but both the employees and the users deserve better. Therefore, this will be a main priority for us in the next four years, says Nordtun. THE MAJORITY: The majority parties presented their proposal for the budget for 2023 on Thursday. The parties are represented here by Sara Nustad Mauland (Red), Frode Myrhol (People’s Party), Daria Maria Szymaniuk (MDG), Eirik Faret Sakariassen (SV), mayor Kari Nessa Nordtun (Ap), Dag Mossige (Ap), Dagny Sunnanå Hausken (Sp) and Bjarne Kvadsheim (Sp). Photo: Kristoffer Apall / news The NHO chief is worried NHO Rogaland director Tone Grindland refers to Stavanger municipality’s use of subletting as a “completely natural dynamic”. – Both in the public sector and the private sector there is a need for substitutes and temporary employment. The municipality is not doing anything wrong. But I am worried about those who will be competing for these tenders if the majority parties both in government and locally get what they want, says Grindland and continues: – Changing the regulations on letting reduces their business base. – The fact that Stavanger municipality is now resorting to the hiring of temporary workers shows that there is a need for this type of business which contributes to both the public and private sectors being able to solve their tasks, says regional director Tone Grindland in NHO Rogaland. Photo: Lene Underhaug / news
ttn-69
The Stavanger politicians want to limit the staffing industry – self-hiring – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
