If employers and employees do not agree on a pension scheme for the cultural sector by midnight on September second, 197 cultural workers could go on strike.
The strike would affect the Norwegian Opera and Ballet, the Norwegian Theater and the National Theater in Oslo, the National Stage and the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra in Bergen, and the Rogaland Theater in Stavanger, wrote Creo.
What’s the problem?
Well, there’s disagreement in the allocated pension scheme. Namely, unions Creo, NTL, and Fagforbundet want a so-called hybrid pension instead of the defined contribution pension scheme that the cultural sector under Spekter has today.
The employees want a scheme where companies allocate more money to the pension account of female employees, Bergens Tidende wrote. Their reasoning is because women, on average, live longer than men, and defined contribution pension schemes usually last for ten years. This means that some women could have several years without an occupational pension.
“This is the same scheme they have in private kindergartens. The scheme is also very similar to the one that applies in the public sector,” wrote Creo.
Parties involved have been summoned to the Ombudsman on September 2, with a mediation deadline at midnight. If the parties do not come to a mutual agreement, there will be a strike in the cultural sector from September 3.
At the National Stage in Bergen, the strike could lead to a possible cancellation of performances – even two major premieres coming up in September. The Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra will cancel all concerts from September 3 on if there is a strike.
Source: ©️ NTB Scanpix / #NorwayTodayTravel
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