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UNI Post & Logistics Norwegian union, Postkom, has reacted positively to today's announcement that the Norwegian Post will guarantee equal pay for external temporary workers from temporary work agencies, such that is is the same as for postal workers employed by Post. Under pressure from Postkom temporary employees finally get the pay they deserve.



" It was high time and I am satisfied with what we have achieved. This sends a clear signal to staffing agencies about the wages and working conditions that will apply in Norwegian working life, "said union leader Odd Christian Øverland.



Postkom has long fought against the untidy conditions in the industry and we chose this week to go hard out to the Post Office to gain support for our claim."



This gain for temporary workers has been after a fight that the union had with Adecco who the union said had committed multiple violations of working conditions, overtime payments and payments of pension contributions. These violations had been reported to the Norwegian police and local authorities. Officials of the Labour Inspectorate confirmed that Adecco workers were paid lower wages than agreed in the general collective labour agreement and that some of these were found to have been working 86 hours a week without being paid overtime.



The illegal behaviour of Adecco has caused much public concern across the Nordic countries and leading companies operating in Norway, as well as local municipalities, have started terminating or not resigning contracts with the temporary work agency. Coop, one of the biggest supermarkets in Norway, decided to terminate its contract with Adecco. In addition, there are numerous municipalities declaring existing contracts for nursing homes and other local services would not be renewed after their expiration this spring.



Postkom took up the fight and met with the Norwegian Post Office and demanded that they terminate their commercial partnership with Adecco which was renewed some time ago. They argued that any future use of temporary agency workers should be negotiated with the union. The result is this victory for temporary workers. Postkom havd said however that;

"The cynicism and exploitation of temporary workers that Adecco has demonstrated to the world, means that we still do not dare to trust the company. We therefore maintain our demand for access to individual cases in order to ensure that temporary employees really receive the same wages and working conditions as permanent employees in the Post Office," said Overland.