– Of course we can end there – E24

Norwegian and the pilots are negotiating overtime. This could threaten what is expected to be a new record summer.

The airline Norwegian has been negotiating with its Norway-based pilots since November last year, but is still not on target for new collective agreements.

The company is now working hard to reach the finish line ahead of the important summer season.

Alf Hansen, leader of the Norwegian Pilot Union (NPU), which represents the pilots based in Norway, confirms that there is dialogue.

– We are not at the finish line, but of course we hope to finish, says Hansen to E24.

No negotiation deadline has been set. The parties can negotiate as long as they see fit, because the agreement is already in overtime.

– Hope and believe

Communications director Esben Tuman at Norwegian confirms that the negotiations with NPU have been going on for a long time.

In an e-mail, he points out that Norwegian has put forward good offers in the form of comprehensive packages that include both salary conditions and other conditions that have to do with a balance between work and leisure.

– We both hope and believe that we will be able to reach an agreement with the pilots, as we have recently done in Spain and Denmark, writes Tuman, who is on a business trip.

– Could end there

Last month, NHO Reiseliv reached an agreement with Fellesforbundet and Parat on a salary settlement that continues the framework from the frontline profession of 5.2 per cent.

Hansen does not want to comment on the size of the salary demand for the pilots, or whether he can rule out a pilot strike.

– But are you willing to put power behind the demands?

– That is the Norwegian negotiation model, and of course we can end there. But we are in dialogue, and we want to find a solution, he says.

– Could there be a strike in the summer?

– We do not want to harm the passengers and of course want a solution. Regardless of the time of year, we fly many people, so it is not a strategic choice that this is going on now, it is because the company has been busy, he says.

– But it goes without saying that it can be. If you don’t agree, it goes to the mediation institute and if you don’t agree there you end up in conflict. It is always open to all parties.

A record summer awaits

Norwegian has already sold over 300,000 more tickets for this year’s summer season than at the same time last year.

At the same time, the company is already noticing positive booking effects from the Widerøe acquisition.

During the company’s quarterly presentation recently, Norwegian CEO Geir Karlsen was clear about the expectations.

– We are very pleased to be out of the so-called low season, and are at full speed towards what will hopefully be a new record summer season for Norwegian, he said then.

– Marginal with recruitment

Norwegian’s boss also stated that Norwegian did not have a staffing challenge this summer.

– It will be tight on the aircraft side, and not on the crew side like last year, said Karlsen.

On the pilot side, there is still little to go on, according to the head of the pilot association.

– I don’t think there is an abundance of pilots at the moment, we have marginal recruitment, says Hansen.

Not compensated

While Norwegian’s owners and creditors had to take large losses through the company’s reconstruction in 2021, the situation today is different.

As of the end of March, the company had NOK 10.4 billion on its books, and dividends have been proposed.

The corona effect is still noticeable for the pilots, who had to agree to more working days as well as a pay freeze and a variable work rate for better flexibility.

– Do you feel that you are now being compensated for this?

– Basically, we don’t think so. But it is, of course, a complex problem, where we all contributed in a joint effort in an extreme situation, says Hansen.

– Few meetings

While negotiations have been ongoing since November, there have been few meetings, according to the pilot chief.

The reason for this is that Norwegian negotiates with several at the same time, but he leaves it up to the company to answer whether this is expedient.

– The company has negotiated with several groups, some of which have been signed and others not, says Hansen.

Norwegian denies that there is anything strategic behind this.

– We negotiate collective agreements according to when they expire, writes Tuman in the e-mail.

He adds that he does not recognize himself in the description that there should have been few meetings with the pilot association.

The cabin association negotiates

In January 2022, the Norwegian cabin association and Norwegian agreed on a two-year collective agreement.

By then, almost five years had passed since the parties last conducted negotiations, due to the pandemic.

Cabin union leader René-Charles Gustavsen in Norwegian confirms that negotiations with Norwegian about a new collective agreement are ongoing, but does not wish to comment on the matter beyond this.

Christoffer Brurud, head of technical personnel at Norwegian, is tight-lipped when contacted by E24.

– I have no opportunity to answer you today, we are still in the middle of a meeting. Have a nice day, says Brurud.