How do you get a higher salary as a NITO member of Spekter?
As a NITO member of a Spekter company, you have specific opportunities to influence your salary development. The annual salary negotiations are your most important option, but there are also other ways to go. Here you will get an overview of your rights and practical advice to achieve better pay.
Spectrum - an overview
The Spekter area includes many different businesses, from hospitals and transport and logistics, to energy, culture, specialist trade, research and education, telecommunications and ICT, as well as banking, finance and real estate.
Each enterprise in the Spekter area has its own collective agreement, often just called Part B. This means that conditions related to salary may vary, and you must go to your local collective agreement yourself to see what applies to you.
On this page, we take you through your options for influencing your own salary:
Annual salary negotiations - your most important opportunity
When will the salary settlement take place?
In April each year, the wage settlement starts with key parties meeting to agree on deadlines for when local negotiations are to be completed. The local negotiations do not normally start until these deadlines are known, and the deadlines are usually during May. This means that the local negotiations mainly take place in April and May in the Spekter area.
How does the process work?
The negotiation system in the Spekter area is built up in three phases.
In phase 1 , the central parties meet to negotiate negotiation deadlines and in the main settlement on the central part A of the collective agreement.
After phase 1 is completed, the local negotiations start in each enterprise. We call this phase 2. Here , the local parties negotiate salary terms and other conditions that apply specifically to the individual enterprise.
If they do not reach agreement locally in phase 2, they can get help from central parties (NITO and Spekter). If they do not reach an agreement after such an attempt either, the negotiations go into phase 3. Then the negotiations are concluded at the central level between SAN and Spekter. Here, all businesses in each individual area must agree before the result of the negotiations can be announced and the money paid out.
How to influence the outcome of the negotiation
The annual salary negotiations are collective negotiations, but you can help influence both the general result and your individual salary development.
Three steps to make an impact
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1. Ta lønnssamtale med din leder
Alle arbeidsgivere i Spekter-området skal tilby lønnssamtale hvert år. Du må bruke denne muligheten til å snakke med din leder om din lønn og din lønnsutvikling.
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2. Hold kontakt med de tillitsvalgte
Møt opp på medlemsmøte dersom de tillitsvalgte kaller inn til det. Svar på spørreundersøkelser eller andre henvendelser fra de tillitsvalgte når de ber om innspill til lønnsforhandlingene. Din deltakelse styrker det kollektive forhandlingsgrunnlaget.
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3. Snakk om lønn med kollegaer
Snakk med kollegaer om lønn og oppfordre dem til å ta lønnssamtale.
Jo mer åpenhet det er om lønnsforhold, desto bedre grunnlag har de tillitsvalgte for å argumentere for forbedringer.
De eneste som tjener på at vi ikke snakker om lønn, er arbeidsgiver.
Your right to an annual salary review
Your right to an annual salary review
How to prepare for the salary review?
It is important to remember that a salary review is not a negotiation. It is an expectations conversation between you and your immediate manager about your salary and your salary development. It is a good idea to spend time preparing for the conversation.
Salary review guide: How to talk your way to a higher salary
Criteria for salary assessment in the Spekter area
All members shall be assessed annually on the basis of the following criteria:
- Applied competence
- Job execution
- Work and responsibilities
Also check your own local collective agreement (Part B) if there may be additional criteria in it that you can also use.
When preparing for the conversation with your manager, start with these criteria. Perhaps you have taken further education or developed new technology that is useful to the business? Perhaps you have taken on greater responsibility or helped reduce waiting times for patients? Use the conversation to give your manager good arguments for why you deserve more pay through what you have contributed.
What do you do if the employer does not take the initiative for a salary review?
If your manager does not call in for a salary review, you can go to your manager and ask for it whenever you wish. Should you be rejected, ask for it in writing and contact your union representative about the matter.
What does the Spekter agreement say about salary discussions?
The central part of the collective agreement (Part A) clearly states that the employer must take the initiative for an annual salary review with the individual employee. If the employer does not offer this, it is a breach of the collective agreement.
The collective agreement does not say anything about when this conversation will take place. It is natural that it will take place before the ordinary wage settlement is to take place.
Other opportunities for a salary increase
The central collective agreement between SAN and Spektrum explicitly states that there is nothing to prevent local wage increases from being given outside the ordinary wage settlement.
Your local collective agreement (Part B) may contain provisions for salary increases outside the ordinary settlement. Here you must check your collective agreement to see what can be found.
Here are situations where you can request a salary assessment outside the ordinary settlement. The list is not exhaustive - check your collective agreement to see which rules apply in your business.
In the event of significant changes in work tasks or a change in position
Have you had significantly changed work tasks or a new position? There may be grounds for demanding a salary increase outside the ordinary settlement.
In the event of significant competence enhancement
If your employer has asked you to take skills development, this strengthens your claim for a higher salary. It is a good idea to clarify the salary consequences before you start with skills development. Skills development you take on your own initiative can also provide a basis for a salary increase.
In case of recruitment challenges and market considerations
Different engineering groups have different market value. Here you must assess based on your market and what the recruitment situation is like for you and the expertise you have. For example, if you have received a job offer from another employer, there is reason to take that offer up with your current employer.
In the event of unreasonable wage differences
Differences in pay do not mean that they are wrong. NITO's salary policy is based on individual salary assessment. This means that NITO believes that individual members should be assessed on the basis of their competence and responsibility. This in turn means that differences in pay will and should occur. These should appear factual.
It is the employer who is responsible for determining your salary. If your salary is significantly lower than comparable colleagues, you must take this up with your employer. It may turn out that you have been paid too low by mistake or that there are circumstances that the employer has not been aware of, and that this should be corrected outside the ordinary salary settlement.
Do you want to make a wage claim outside the ordinary salary settlement? Contact your union representative, who can guide and advise you further in the case.
Understanding the collective agreement in the Spekter area - the difference between Part A and Part B
The collective agreement in the Spekter area is structured in two parts that together regulate your working conditions and salary conditions. It is important to understand the difference between these parts in order to know what rights and opportunities you have.
Part A is the central collective agreement that applies to all enterprises affiliated with Spekter. This agreement is negotiated between Spektrum and the trade unions at the central level and contains the fundamental rights and provisions that apply regardless of where you work. In Part A, you will find, among other things, provisions on annual salary negotiations, fundamental rights related to wage negotiations, and a common framework for how the wage settlement is to be carried out.
Part B is the local collective agreement that applies specifically to your enterprise. This agreement is negotiated locally and may contain additional provisions and specific arrangements that are adapted to the needs of the individual enterprise. In Part B, you can find specific provisions on salary negotiations outside the ordinary settlement, local supplements and schemes, and enterprise-specific rights.
To get a full overview of your opportunities for salary development, you need to know both Part A and your local Part B. Contact your local union representative to get access to your company's Part B and get guidance on how it affects your salary negotiation options.
Your next steps
- Familiarize yourself with both Part A and your local Part B of the collective agreement to know your rights.
- Make it a routine to have a salary review annually. It will benefit both you and your salary development, and the community that all members take a salary review.
- Contact your local union representative for guidance adapted to your situation
- Actively participate in member meetings and provide input to the union representatives.
- Consider whether you have grounds for requesting a salary negotiation outside of the ordinary settlement.
By taking an active role in your own salary development and using the opportunities available in the Spekter system, you can achieve better salary development over time.