New report: The data center industry is struggling with the cooperation between the parties
High work pressure, poorly developed cooperation between the parties and challenges with working conditions characterize the construction of data centers in Norway.
This is the conclusion of a new report from Fafo. Abelia, El og IT, Nito, NHO Elektro, the Norwegian Labour Union, the Federation of Norwegian Industries and Tekna have financed the report, which examines the work and jobs in the Norwegian data center industry.
Fafo report: Labour and computing power
According to the report, the Norwegian labour market model is less developed in the data centre industry than in, for example, the manufacturing industry. This applies to the organisation of employees and employers, collective agreements and cooperation in the workplace.
Fafo describes a construction phase with large, temporary labour needs and high time pressure. The report notes that the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority has on several occasions uncovered breaches of the Working Environment Act in connection with data centre developments. Secrecy based on data security can also make access more difficult.
NITO's President Kjetil Lein is critical of the fact that the industry is challenging the Norwegian labour market model.
"Data centre policy is also labour market policy. When Norway makes power and space available, we must have clear expectations of what the establishments will contribute. We want to help develop an industry that provides good jobs and builds expertise over time," says Kjetil Lein, president of NITO, which organises 122,000 engineers and technologists.
The President emphasizes that data centers can create important jobs for members of NITO. At the same time, NITO believes that the government must ensure that the industry is covered by organization, collective agreements, co-determination and formalized cooperation between the authorities and the social partners.
"It worries me that secrecy makes it difficult to check that those who work in the construction phase have orderly working conditions. Requirements for data security must of course be taken seriously, but we must not use them to exclude union representatives. It must be clear who has the employer responsibility, and who follows up the working conditions," says Lein.
According to the report, the development of data centres creates many man-years, but a large part is temporary and linked to construction and installation. The researchers at Fafo point out that the developers have extensive use of foreign and hired labour during the construction phase. When the facilities go into operation, the number of permanent jobs is also far lower.
"In the face of a new billion-dollar industry, we must not forget that a secure working life is our most important international competitive advantage. We cannot risk an industry that is characterized by temporary employment and unstable working conditions," says Lein.
