Despite a verdict from the Supreme Court, the harbour monopoly continues at the Port of Drammen, according to the Corporate Federation (Bedriftsforbundet).
The Supreme Court decided before Christmas that the Norwegian Federation of Transport Workers ‘Unions (NTF), do not have the sole privilege of loading and unloading ships, often called the harbour monopoly, according to Nettavisen.
Now the Corporate Federation in Drammen appeals to the Norwegian Competition Authority. They say that the now illegal port monopoly is practiced just as before, despite the Supreme Court verdict.
– This is unacceptable, is stated in a complaint from the Corporate Federation, written by lawyer Nicolay Skarning.
The Corporate Federation is a nationwide interest organization for small and medium-sized businesses.
Wants to use own employees
The complaint comes in as a result the so-called Holship case. Danish owned Holship has not wanted to use registered harbour workers at the company’s terminal in Drammen, but instead wants to use its own employees.
The harbour workers lost in the Supreme Court.
The Trade Union (LO) has tried to make Holship to use workers organized by NTF. This is rejected by Holship, which in turn led to boycotts by NTF.
Defeat for the harbour workers in the EFTA Court.
The harbour workers won both in the Drammen District Court and the Borgarting Court of Appeal, but lost in the Supreme Court. The court found that NTF has no pre-emptive rights for loading and unloading ships.
Now, four months after the verdict fell, nothing have changed in the port of Drammen, except that the boycott against Holship is no longer in force.
Challenges the trade union’s harbour monopoly
– The verdict of the Supreme Court (…) has resulted in the harbour monopoly for unloading and loading no longer being invoked against Holship Norge AS. However, for all others, the port monopoly remains, as far as we know, despite the fact that the system is considered to be contrary to the competition law, associate lawyer for the Corporate Federation, Nicolay Skarning, writes.
Source: nettavisen.no / Norway Today