Norway: 160,000 in sympathy strike for 79 workers in private health care

Seventy-nine nursing assistants, members of PSI affiliate, Fagforbundet (the Norwegian Union of Municipal and General Employees) went on strike on 22 August.

Yeaterday, Fagforbundet announced that over 160,000 of their members in the public sector will hold a sympathy strike to support the striking health workers.
 
Sympathy strikes may, according to the collective agreement, be initiated 14 days after the notice is given, that is, from Tuesday 18 september.

In a statement to the union's magazine, Fagbladet, the President of Fagforbundet Jan Davisen says:

"We deeply regret that we are forced to use tools that will affect many people. But we have decided to do it is because of the obvious injustice that employees performing the same job - and in the same industry, do not have the same pay and pension rights. This is unacceptable. Now we want to show that our trade union stands behind the strikers".