In the first round, 452 postal employees will go on strike, in Oslo and its surroundings, Grenland, Stavanger, Sola and Trondheim, among others. – It is a large withdrawal. A strike will have major consequences immediately, says national mediator Mats Ruland. The mediation meeting between LO Stat and the employers’ association Spekter started on Wednesday at 10.00. If the parties do not reach an agreement by midnight, it could be the first strike at Posten in several decades, according to FriFagbevegelse. Ruland, who is leading the negotiations, thinks it is too early to say whether the parties will reach a solution before midnight, and whether there will eventually be mediation overtime. – It is too early for anything to be clarified, but I think it is possible to reach an agreement, he says. STATE MEDIATOR: Mats Ruland. Photo: Håkon Mosvold Larsen / NTB Warns of rapid escalation A possible strike will apply to postmen in and around Oslo, Trondheim, Sola, Stavanger and Grenland. Employees at the Østlands terminal in Lørenskog, where mail for the whole country is sorted and prepared, will also be taken out. The head of the Post and Finance Trade Union, Gerd Øiahals, says that they have announced the resignation of all their members at Posten Norge. We are talking about around 6,500 employees. – There will be an escalation relatively quickly if the strike becomes a fact, says Øiahals. LEADER: Gerd Øiahals in the Trade Union Post and Finance. Photo: Birgit Dannenberg The reason the parties are now negotiating is that more than half of the members voted no to the salary offer, the core of which was an addition of NOK 15,800. They believe this is too little to be able to maintain purchasing power. – Posten has had good results throughout the pandemic. People want a bigger share of the profits. Can affect online shopping Industry director in NHO Service and Trade, Linda Vist, says that the consequences of a possible strike could be great, depending on how long it lasts and how many people are made redundant. – There are many packages and letters to be sent out and delivered. If there is a strike, the parcels can pile up at the terminal, says Vist. INDUSTRY DIRECTOR: Linda Vist. Photo: NHO Service og Handel She cites delays as a consequence. – Many Norwegians shop online. People often expect to receive the package on their doorstep the day after they order. Consumers expect a fast process. Online shopping makes up around 15 per cent of Norwegians’ shopping in total. Before the pandemic, the percentage was seven. Following the situation According to the online store Miinto, their customers will not be able to receive their parcels in the mailbox if there is a strike. But customers can still pick up their goods at a post office or in store. – Everyone will get their parcels, but the delivery time may be affected if the strike escalates. Currently, only one of our delivery services is affected, says director of business development at Miinto, Jake Petersen. – But if there is a long-term strike, we have to consider how to solve it. The online store Nelly says that they are following the situation closely. – We are in dialogue with our suppliers about how our customers in Norway may be affected by a strike, and what measures we can introduce if so, says operations director at Nelly, Stefan Svensson.
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– Will have major consequences – news Norway – Overview of news from various parts of the country
