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NRK with first news broadcast at midnight

NRK Headquarters at Marienlyst in Oslo. Photo: Wikimedia.org

NRK with news broadcast when the strike ends at midnight

NRK’s news and actuality production will be back to normal from Thursday morning, promises Media Director Marius Lillelien.

 

– I just received confirmation that we will broadcast news as of midnight on the radio, says Lillelien to NTB.

It became clear on Wednesday evening that the striking NRK journalists will return to work after agreement on the wage settlements for this year has been reached. The goal is to be back on normal schedule as quickly as possible, and at the latest on Thursday morning, Lillelien informs.

– We are now working full blast to get people in place from the morning. From midnight and through the night, news will be broadcast every hour and also updated online, he says.

NRK strike over at midnight

The parties in the NRK conflict reached an agreement on Wednesday regarding both money and principles. Thus, the NRK strike is over and at midnight the news broadcasts are resumed.

CEO Thor Gjermund Eriksen promised somewhat humorously on Wednesday evening that no NRK journalists who, in pure joy, return to the headquarters at Marienlyst in Oslo will be denied access to their workplace. Men først ved midnatt kommer den første nyhetssendingen.

Eriksen, together with the Union Leader of the NRK journalists, Richard Aune, met up at the reception at Marienlyst and announced that they had reached an agreement on this year’s salary agreement.

– We’ve obtained an accord for all of our three main demands. We have been assured that we will be assured competence in future as well. We have ackieved that temporary workers will be treated the same as permanent staff when the salary is to be determined, and we have received a salary raise of NOK 18 100, according to Aune.

Cheers

He claimed that the wage increase will reduce the wage gap with comparable employees in other media. It sparked cheers and applause from the members on strike who attended the improvised press conference.

NRK profile, Jarle Roheim Håkonsen, believes the strike was absolutely necessary in order to get the journalists’ demands through.

– The bosses say that without striking we would not achieve this result. We have had so much support from people, incredible willingness to strike, very nice weather and then some. But it’s a pity that we have to disappoint our viewers and listeners and follow through on this, preferably we would have liked to avoid the situation, he tells NTB.

Within the framework

The Broadcaster’s CEO emphasized that the salary increase is within the limits set by the other negotiations for this year, but that the distribution is somewhat different. Since the strike began, he has categorically refused to provide a wage offer that will make journalists in the state channel payroll leaders in Norway.

– We have found a solution that is good for both parties. The total solution the deal entails, I am very pleased with. This is a good evening for both employees, NRK, Management and the public, says the broadcasting boss.

Good main news broadcast

The strike formally ends at midnight, and Eriksen expects it will take a few hours before everything is up and running.- But I think I can guarantee a reasonably good main news broadcast on Thursday at 7 pm ((Dagsrevyen).

Both Aune and Eriksen say that they would rather have been without the strike.

– But we did not avoid it and, and then and there, the conflict became a fact of life. This was a legal conflict in a main wage settlement, and we have used these days to hammer out a solution that takes care of both NRK’s and the employee concerns, the NRK boss says.

May 17th and Royal wedding

Eriksen was also questioned about how it was to leave May 17th and the British Royal wedding to their main competitor, TV 2.

– It’s serious for NRK to disappoint the audience, but I’m fine with that TV 2 got those ratings. We hope – and will fight for – to get the viewers and listeners back that we have lost.

The press conference was repeatedly interrupted by applause. Afterwards, while the strikers packed their stand away, it was hugs and high five’s all around. Some took  off the red strike T-shirt, while others still kept it on.

 

© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today