Since 8 September 2017 more than 70 workers (mostly Polish, but also Lithuanians and Norwegians) have been on strike in fish processing company Norse Production based just outside Bergen on the west coast of Norway.
The workers who are organized in the IUF and EFFAT affiliated Norwegian Food and Allied Workers Union (NNN), are demanding their right to have a Collective Bargaining Agreement in the company. NNN have had a long dispute with the company about working conditions and treatment of the foreign workers. The contracts that most of the workers have, does not give them any security for number of working hours or working time. They have no right to negotiate with the employer and are threatened to leave the Union in order to keep their jobs. The company fails to follow the most common rules of Norwegian Legislation and International Conventions on workers rights.
After several meetings with the company and compulsory mediation without reaching an agreement, the only option left was to go on strike.
The striking members of NNN got support from union friends from all over Norway, including the leader of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) and the leader of Norwegian United Federation of Trade Unions (FF). Together with Jan-Egil Pedersen from NNN, they held speeches in a big demonstration outside the company.
NNN members need your support at a challenging time that could be a turning point in the campaign.
Please show the workers organised by NNN that they are not alone by sending Jan Egil and Anne Berit a message of support. You can find a template letter prepared for you below.
Jan Egil: jan.egil.pedersen@nnn.no
Anne Berit: anne.berit.aker.hansen@nnn.no
Please find also attached for your information EFFAT’s letter of support.
Norse Production’s workers need to know that we are standing beside them at this time!
Factsheet:
The company Norse Production was established by Salmon and Trout producer Sekkingstad AS back in 2012. The reason for establishing this business model was to avoid the consequences when EU-regulations on equal treatment of temporary agency workers were implemented in Norwegian legislation from the 1st of January 2013. Norse Production now employs approximately 120 people, most of them working in rotating shifts with five weeks on work and three weeks off. The company produces salmon and trout for Sekkingstad AS which supplies more than a 100 customers in more than 52 countries around the world, including Denmark, England, France, Spain, Italy, South Korea, USA, Japan and Taiwan. Sekkingstad AS owns the production site and the equipment inside.
