Centrally approved working time arrangements – 10-12 (4) agreements
Some working time arrangements go beyond what you as a union representative can approve locally. In this case, the employer can apply to NITO centrally for a so-called 10-12 (4) agreement. This page will take you through when it is applicable and what to do.
This is a 10-12 (4) deal
A 10-12 (4) agreement is an agreement on working time arrangements that go beyond what you as a union representative can approve locally. The agreement is entered into between the employer and NITO centrally, and is named after the provision in the Working Environment Act that gives trade unions with more than 10,000 members the authority to enter into such agreements (Section 10-12 (4) lovdata.no).
Although it is NITO centrally that enters into the agreement, the preparatory work is done by the parties locally locally. As a union representative, you play a key role in the process.
When is a central agreement relevant?
Centrally approved agreements are typically relevant for shift work with long working hours. It is also relevant in the case of rotation arrangements with intensive work periods and correspondingly long free periods (for example, a 13-15 scheme) or in the case of travel activities that entail long journeys beyond the framework of the Act.
Common to these schemes is that they involve an average calculation of working hours, where members work more in some periods and less in others. A 10-12 (4) agreement allows for working time arrangements that go beyond the limits of what a local union representative alone can approve.
Conditions for NITO to enter into an agreement
NITO centrally only enters into such agreements when:
- It is a company group with a NITO employee representative in the company.
- There is a concrete, documented need.
- The agreement only covers NITO's own members.
- The agreement is limited to a maximum of 52 weeks.
