GENEVA, /Switzerland, 4 April 2006: As of 2 April, BWI Norwegian affiliate Fellesforbundet decided to stop all major construction works in Norway as the employers Norsk Industri and Byggenæringens Landsforening could not agree to any of the union's main demands on social dumping and changes in the wage systems and minimum wage rates.
For Arve Bakke, head of the bargaining team "The employers have unfortunately acted totally unserious during both bargaining and mediation, so a strike was inevitable".
The strike might last a while. The strike also hits the major petrochemical plants along the coastline - Snøhvit and Ormen Lange. According to the law, mediation has to restart in 30 days, but any party to the conflict may initiate talks.
Fellesforbundet and Norsk Industri/Byggenæringens Landsforening started the negotiations on four collective agreements on 6 March: engineering industry (metal sector), cardboard, building industries and textiles and clothing.
Yesterday, BWI expressed its support and solidarity with the union's struggle to gain decent wages and conditions for the construction workers of Norway.
