Tanzanian Association Oslo

Strike to halt transit systems

Just as calls go out for better mass transit systems, their workers in Oslo are planning a strike that will shut down tram and bus service in the capital Wednesday morning.

The unions representing thousands of city workers (Fagforbundet and Utdanningsforbundet) have called a two-hour "political" strike on Wednesday from 9-11am, just after the morning rush hour.

They're protesting a budget truce among the city's political parties, which rejected a plea from the city's neighbourhood councils for an extra NOK 300 million.

The neighbourhoods had sought the money on the grounds it was necessary to carry out their public obligations. The city decided they should be able to do that without extra funding.

That angered the unions and they've responded with plans to send 1,000 of their members out on strike Wednesday.

Around 90 municipal day care centers in the neighbourhoods of Nordstrand, Østensjø, Nordre Aker and Grünerløkka will close from 9-11am.

Bus and tram drivers on the city's above-and underground transit systems will strike from 9:30-10:30am, meaning all public transit will stand still for an hour in Oslo.

Workers in the city-owned firm that transports industrial garbage will also walk off the job.

The unions claim that city officials must get the message that most Oslo neighbourhoods are struggling with tight budgets. They hope Oslo residents will sympathize with their strike.

"This is our way of demonstrating dissatisfaction with next year's city budget," Terje Vilno of Utdanningsforbundet told Aftenposten.no.

Erling Lae of the Conservatives, head of Oslo's Municipal Executive Board (byrådet), said it was "sad" that the unions were "punishing the public" with a strike action. "If Fagforbundet should get more money, who should get less?" he asked.

Aftenposten's reporter
Amund Trellevik

Aftenposten English Web Desk
Nina Berglund