Norway workers strike for higher wages

Nearly 25,000 private sector workers in Norway have been on strike since Monday morning after talks with employers broke down, and strikes will intensify in the coming days, two major unions said on Sunday, Reuters reported.The strike will affect industries such as construction, breweries, ferry operators and manufacturers, including Aker Solutions, Norsk Hydro and Carlsberg Group's unit in Ringnes.

The unions said the strike would not affect Norway's oil and gas production.Another 16,000 workers are due to strike from April 21 if no deal is reached, and some 200,000 workers could eventually take part in the strike, the unions said.The Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) negotiates on behalf of 185,000 members, while the smaller Confederation of Trade Unions (YS) represents another 16,000 negotiators.

Unions are demanding higher real wages this year after two years of consumer prices rising faster than nominal wages, citing high profits in Norwegian industries.
This means that wages would have to rise by 5% or more as headline inflation in Norway is projected at 4.9% for the full year, according to a commission involving representatives from trade unions, employers' federations and Statistics Norway. The Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise (NHO), which represents employers, has been pushing for restraint, arguing that wages should not be allowed to rise to the point where inflation is out of control.