The government is making an about turn and postponing plans for new qualification requirements in the field of construction. The rules would have disqualified several workers from their jobs from 1 July.
According to the Newspaper News Agency (ANB), the announcement of the change of mind was announced in a meeting between the municipal minister Jan Tore Sanner (H) and the construction industry Monday afternoon.
“This is the best Christmas present the employers in the construction industry in District Norway could have received. Many contractors had considered selling their machines and closing down if they had not been allowed to carry on, says Julie Brodtkorb, Managing Director of the Machine Contractors Association (MEF), to the news agency.
The proposed rules would have meant that all major jobs in the construction industry would become reserved for companies with employees with technical vocational education or a degree in engineering. The industry has been critical and pointed out the importance of recognizing practical experience, and has now been listened to by the municipal minister.
He has now chosen to extend a transitional arrangement that was adopted last year until 2020. During this time, an expert committee will look into the matter.
“We are pleased that the local-government and and modernisation minister Jan Tore Sanner has listened to the industry’s concerns, and we will help to find robust solutions that are trusted in the market,” says Jon Sandnes, Director of the Construction Industry Association, in a press release.
NTB Scanpix / Norway Today
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