NITO wants a new organisation of state wage negotiations

The state's director of human resources, Gisle Norheim, spent time reflecting on the political management of personnel policy in the state, when he spoke at NITO's central collective bargaining conference for the state sector. He gets his powers from the government and not the state enterprises. The state agencies are listened to, but it is the politicians who decide.

- This political control of the wage settlements in the state was what led us into a strike last year, says Kristian Botnen, head of NITO's central collective bargaining committee in the state.

NITO's union representatives believe it is high time to investigate an alternative organisation of the state negotiations, and believe Sweden should be looked to for inspiration.

 Sweden is a member of Arbetsgivarvärket, a politically decoupled employers' association for the state-owned enterprises. Gisle Norheim also touched on the Swedish model, but naturally would not have an opinion on whether this was the way to go in Norway as well.

Kristian Botnen, realizes that an alternative organization of the employer function does not happen overnight, but that it is important to get started as soon as possible with work that investigates alternatives. Until such work is completed, Botnen makes a clear call to the Government.

He wants to give the state's human resources director the authority to do more than just listen to the input from the various agencies.

- Let these inputs guide the state's position in the wage settlement. We handle disagreements and different priorities between the employer and the employee side well. It is when politicians interfere directly and try to dictate the outcome of the negotiations that it becomes just nonsense. Last year's strike was a result of that. Hopefully they have learned this year, Botnen concludes