- Safety trumps everything!
Morten Kvamme has one main reason for being a NITO member: - Security in working life, you have a support system that is always on your side.
"If you are an engineer or a technologist, NITO offers security and benefits you don't want to miss," says this engineer in Trondheim. Kvamme is a campus union representative at NTNU.
At NTNU, massive construction projects are taking place. Currently, 135,000 square meters of new teaching buildings, laboratories and associated infrastructure are being built for the benefit of both students and staff.
- I am responsible for ensuring that the employees are heard and are allowed to contribute with their opinions. I work on behalf of all union representatives here, not just NITO's Members.
Making sure that management does its job
As a representative of all trade unions, Kvamme ensures that the management takes into account the needs and rights of employees.
- I think it is exciting and very rewarding to be a union representative. My job is to make sure that the management does its job towards the employees. If I hadn't been here, I'm not sure if the management would have listened to the employees as much as they should.
"Some of the topics at the moment are open-plan offices, cell offices, individual adaptations in the workplace and zone security without locked doors," he says.
This is how he gets the most out of NITO membership
Morten Kvamme is a proud NITO member. He is clear about why he joined NITO already as a student:
- The good member benefits that include a strong legal apparatus are important. NITO members have access to perhaps the best lawyers in Norway. It is crucial for me to know that I will get help if I am exposed to something that threatens my rights as an employee. It is expensive to pay for legal help privately, but as a NITO member, you always have the experts on your side and they are ready to help you.
Harassment, forced relocation due to conflicts, change of department, dismissal on incorrect grounds. These are examples of cases Kvamme mentions that it can be good to know that you have a lawyer in hand to be able to talk to.
- You can use NITO's lawyers even before you get your first job, and of course when you change jobs as well. Get the lawyers to check your employment contract before you sign," he says. - Is the job contract the way it should be? Maybe with small steps you can both increase your salary and secure better conditions.
With the tax deduction and benefits, you make a profit
- The tax deduction that you get on the membership fee means that the membership costs almost nothing, he explains. - Only on insurance that you can get affordable through NITO, you save a lot. You just have to use the benefits, and you make a profit.
Kvamme has also made use of the bank agreement NITO has with Nordea. - I have a mortgage there, and once I easily reduced the interest rate by an extra 0.25 percent.
Kvamme also had its mortgage rate frozen at a favourable time. "I am very pleased that for a long time now I have had a very low mortgage rate, far below the floating rate.
- The insurance agreements through Tryg insurance give me security on my house, contents and travel, he explains.
When Kvamme and his family are travelling, they often take advantage of the NITO discount at Scandic's hotels. They have used it both on a trip to Oslo and when they visited the Zoo in Kristiansand.
- Now I'm going to buy myself a new backpack, then I'll of course check the offer at Fjellsport where we NITO members get a discount.
Kvamme emphasizes in conclusion: - Whether you are new to working life or have a long experience, NITO membership is an investment in security and good financial benefits that you just have to take advantage of.