Almost 3,000 new teachers join education strike in Norway
Nearly 3,000 teachers in Norway joined a strike over wages on Tuesday, bringing the number of those taking industrial action to around 6,600.
The teachers' strike in Norway stepped up again on Tuesday, with almost 3,000 more education professionals joining the industrial action.
"We will continue the strike until we find a better solution for the teachers," Steffan Handal, head of the Education Association, said when the escalation was announced.
On Monday, the national mediator said that the union representing teachers and The Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities (KS) were far apart from any potential agreement.
In total, some 6,600 teachers have joined the strike, which began in June, before the summer holidays.
Handal previously said the number of teachers being taken out on strike highlighted the seriousness of the situation.
There have been calls from some quarters for the government to end the strike for pupils' wellbeing.
Bergen will be the part of the country hardest hit when the strike escalates. Some 580 teachers employed by Bergen Municipality have joined the strike.
The escalation of the strike will take the total number of teachers striking in Bergen to almost 1,300. Bærum, Byrne and Trondheim will also see large numbers of teachers taken out on strike.
Teachers are striking over wage growth in recent years. The decision to strike came following the collective bargaining agreement with the public sector with The Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities (KS).
The public sector accepted KS's offer as a whole, but teachers have decided to strike as they feel they've gotten a raw deal in the last few agreements.
Industrial action is currently affecting over a dozen municipalities and all of the country's counties except Oslo.
In Norway, counties are responsible for funding high schools, while the local municipality funds other schools. This is why the strikes are spread across the county and municipal levels.
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The teachers' strike in Norway stepped up again on Tuesday, with almost 3,000 more education professionals joining the industrial action.
"We will continue the strike until we find a better solution for the teachers," Steffan Handal, head of the Education Association, said when the escalation was announced.
On Monday, the national mediator said that the union representing teachers and The Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities (KS) were far apart from any potential agreement.
In total, some 6,600 teachers have joined the strike, which began in June, before the summer holidays.
Handal previously said the number of teachers being taken out on strike highlighted the seriousness of the situation.
There have been calls from some quarters for the government to end the strike for pupils' wellbeing.
Bergen will be the part of the country hardest hit when the strike escalates. Some 580 teachers employed by Bergen Municipality have joined the strike.
The escalation of the strike will take the total number of teachers striking in Bergen to almost 1,300. Bærum, Byrne and Trondheim will also see large numbers of teachers taken out on strike.
Teachers are striking over wage growth in recent years. The decision to strike came following the collective bargaining agreement with the public sector with The Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities (KS).
The public sector accepted KS's offer as a whole, but teachers have decided to strike as they feel they've gotten a raw deal in the last few agreements.
Industrial action is currently affecting over a dozen municipalities and all of the country's counties except Oslo.
In Norway, counties are responsible for funding high schools, while the local municipality funds other schools. This is why the strikes are spread across the county and municipal levels.
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