– There have been demanding negotiations, but this is a result that will give real wage growth for Unio’s members, says negotiator Geir Røsvoll.
– We were able to meet our demand for clear real wage growth, and we also achieved a prioritization in favor of those with the longest education and long seniority. We therefore believe this is an acceptable result for our members in Unio municipality, says Røsvoll.
A framework for annual wage growth of 5.2 per cent has been agreed, the same as was agreed in the frontline subject. Estimated price growth in 2024 is 4.1 per cent.
There was tension beforehand as to whether an agreement could be reached without mediation this year. However, after many hours of overtime negotiations, an agreement was reached on Wednesday morning.
– There have been demanding negotiations, but together the parties have managed to find constructive solutions which meant that we avoided mediation. We are satisfied with that, says Geir Røsvoll, who has negotiated for over 140,000 employees with higher education in the municipalities.
Central additions and local pot
On this basis, Unio municipality chose to recommend this year’s main settlement in KS. LO municipality and YS municipality have done the same, and thus it was possible to sign a new main tariff agreement that will apply for the next two years.
For Unio’s groups, a central supplement of between NOK 22,000 and NOK 37,000 has been agreed with effect from 1 May. The new guarantee salary is adjusted accordingly.
(Link salary table)
In addition to the central supplements, a local pot has been agreed from 1 October 2024, which amounts to 1.1 per cent of the framework.
The parties also agree on a so-called “renegotiation clause”.
– This means that if other organizations in negotiations, mediation or tribunal proceedings achieve a better result than we have obtained in these negotiations, we reserve the right to demand new negotiations. We are very pleased to have received this, says Røsvoll.
Does not solve the challenges in the municipalities
Nevertheless, Unio reminds the municipality’s negotiation leader that this negotiation result does not solve the municipalities’ significant challenges
– It is good that we seem to be securing real wage growth in this settlement, but it does not solve the municipalities’ serious recruitment problems in the education and health sectors. Municipalities must be provided with financial muscle to make workplaces attractive and recruitable over time.
– We still believe that the salary levels of several of our member groups, for example nurses and kindergarten teachers, are too low, and that the salary development for teachers in schools must improve, says Røsvoll.
Committees must assess new salary models
Over time, the teachers in the school system have had worse pay growth than other groups in the municipal sector.
Unio therefore also demanded an investigation into a separate chapter or main tariff agreement for the teachers in the school system. In order to meet this requirement, it was agreed to continue the party-composed committee for central salary and position regulations.
This committee will “assess new pay models for job groups in chapter 4, including the teaching staff”. The committee must also “clarify the significance the salary models can have for the various job groups, and any need for changes in the associated annexes”.
– This could change the salary system in the future, and could have a big impact on us. We must now work hard on this until the next main tariff settlement, emphasizes Røsvoll.
Full-time culture in party committees
A party-composed committee will look at measures to increase the proportion of full-time workers. We agree with the employer that we must continue our work for a full-time culture, so that the need for additional work, temporary employment and subletting is reduced.
– For a collective employee side, it has been important that the employees should continue to have an influence on their own working time. Working time arrangements with more inconvenient working hours imposed on employees could make it more difficult to retain and recruit employees, emphasizes the negotiator.
Facts about Unio municipality
Unio is Norway’s largest main organization for employees with higher education, and has around 400,000 members spread over 14 member unions.
Unio municipality has 141,053 members in the KS area as of 1 January 2024. The largest associations are the Education Association with 96,802 members and the Norwegian Nurses Association with 36,029 members.
The other associations are the Norwegian Association of Physiotherapists, the Norwegian Association of Occupational Therapists, the Association of Academicians, the Association of Librarians, the Norwegian Association of Dentists, the Association of Researchers, the Norwegian Association of Machinists, the Norwegian Association of Radiographers, the Norwegian Association of Deacons and the Association of Priests.
Geir Røsvoll (Uddanningsforbundet) is head of negotiations in Unio municipality.