Opposition to partial privatisation
Proposals to part-privatise Statoil prompted a four-hour political strike by more than 300 employees on 9 April 2001, affecting much of the operations on Statfjord, Gullfaks and Veslefrikk.
The government’s plan was to sell shares in the state oil company and dispose of part of the state’s direct financial interest (SDFI) on the Norwegian continental shelf. This was opposed by the offshore workers, who downed tools because they believed that it conflicted with the principle that all Norway’s oil and gas resources should be Norwegian-owned.
A number of sympathy strikes were also staged by members of the Federation of Offshore Workers Trade Unions (OFS) in Shell and Esso, and personnel at the Mongstad and Kårstø facilities on land. These stoppages were found to be in breach of the prevailing agreements on pay and conditions by the Norwegian Industrial Disputes Court.
Source:
Norwegian Wire Service (NTB), 11 April 2001.
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