Christopher Hansteen

In a groundbreaking ruling from the Labor Court on February 5, new light was shed on the legality of sympathy strikes in Norway, especially in cases involving foreign employers. The ruling, of above-average principled significance, provides important clarifications on the scope of the Main Agreement between LO (Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions) and the Norwegian Shipowners' Association and sets a precedent for future labor disputes with international elements. With this ruling, workers' rights are strengthened, enhancing the ability to enforce tariff demands against foreign employers in Norway.

As a consequence of the merger of courts following the judicial reform in 2021, several court leaders became redundant in their leadership roles. The affected positions were continued as judicial offices in the merged courts, but in a way that allowed the incumbents to retain their title and salary.

Partner Christopher Hansteen, Senior Associate Johannes Teigland, and Associate Maria Mirijanyan assisted the Union of Education Norway in its complaint to the Committee on Freedom of Association (CFA) at the International Labour Organization (ILO) for violations of ILO conventions concerning the protection of freedom of association, conventions to which Norway is bound.

Is your company prepared for the obligations imposed by the Transparency Act? The first deadline after the compliance requirements have been in place is June 30, 2023.

On April 17, 2023, a major strike was launched following a break in negotiations between the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions, YS and NHO. This is the first occurrence in modern times that interim settlement in the private sector has ended in conflict. The strike could have a major impact on the operations of many businesses. The following is a summary of the most important rules employers should be familiar with in the face of a strike.