On 5 March 2002, the Norwegian government announced that it would ask parliament to pass compulsory arbitration legislation to end a national strike by nurses. The strike, which had begun on 22 January, ended immediately.
On 5 March 2002, the Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Erna Solberg, announced that the government would bring before parliament a proposal for compulsory arbitration legislation to end the national strike by nurses initiated on 22 January (NO0202102N). After the announcement, the striking nurses went back to work on the following day. The minister based the decision on a report by the Norwegian Board of Health, stating that the national health authorities could no longer rule out the possibility that continued strike action would pose a threat to public health. It is estimated that approximately 16,000 planned operations, tests and treatment sessions were delayed as a direct result of the industrial action.
The strike started on 22 January 2002, following the breakdown of negotiations over higher wages for nurses between the Norwegian Union of Registered Nurses (Norges Sykepleierforbund, NSF) and the NAVO employers' organisation. The background to the dispute was the transfer of all public hospitals from the county municipalities to the state sector on 1 January 2002 (NO0108139F). The transfer of ownership led to a situation whereby previous collective relations and collective agreements disappeared and, although most of the unions concerned agreed to prolong existing agreements until new ones are negotiated in spring 2002, NSF refused to follow suit, and negotiations over an immediate new agreement for nurses started in December 2001 (NO0201114N). The negotiations failed after a short mediation period in mid-January. The strike was gradually stepped up week by week. At the time of Minister Solberg's announcement, more than 1,400 nurses were on strike across the country. Further escalation from 15 March had already been announced.
The leader of NSF, Bente G H Slaatten, expressed great disappointment with the government's decision to impose compulsory arbitration. In a press statement, she argued that this constituted 'a serious infringement of the right to negotiate freely and strike'. The strike may be over for now, according to Ms Slaatten, but the conflict nevertheless continues. The leader of NAVO, Lars Haukaas, on the other hand, welcomed the state intervention, and called it good news for the patients awaiting treatment in Norwegian hospitals.
The conflict over nurses' pay is now being considered by the National Wage Board (Rikslønnsnemnda), which is vested with the responsibility of settling labour disputes subject to voluntary or compulsory arbitration, and is composed of representatives of trade unions and employers. The other collective agreements in the hospital sector have been prolonged until 31 March 2002, at which time the parties will negotiate agreements for the new hospital enterprises. The participation by the nurses belonging to NSF in these negotiations is conditional upon the National Wages Board being able to rule in the dispute.