The airlines ask people to meet as normal despite NHO’s lockout

The announced lockout from NHO came into force at midnight. 450 aircraft technicians from NFO are refused to come to work, and the airlines face an uncertain Sunday.

The labor dispute between NHO Luftfart and the Norwegian Aircraft Technician Organization (NFO) is thus escalating sharply.

– We are sorry that our and the Ombudsman’s repeated attempts to find a solution to the conflict have been rejected by the aircraft technicians in NFO. The distance is very large, and the demand from NFO is far beyond what has been agreed with other occupational groups in society, says CEO Torbjørn Lothe of NHO Luftfart.

The lockout means that 450 aircraft technicians from NFO are refused to come to work. It also affects the ambulance service in the north – which could potentially lead to danger to life and health.

Forced wage board can force itself on

In that case, it will probably lead to the state quickly intervening and canceling the strike with a so-called compulsory wage board.

The air ambulance airline Babcock has applied for a dispensation in the aircraft technician conflict in the event of a lockout, but was refused by NHO on Saturday.

Babcock, which operates the ambulance flight service in Norway, says they take note of NHO Aviation’s decision to reject the exemption application. They have informed their client Luftambulansetjenesten HF that a lockout from midnight will reduce their ability to take care of emergency preparedness with ambulance aircraft.

The airlines ask people to meet as normal

On Saturday, Widerøe carried out a controlled shutdown of the short-haul network, which are the routes for the airline’s smallest aircraft. The company, on the other hand, flies the regional flights and charter flights as planned on Sunday.

– We fly what we can and what we achieve, says communications director Silje Brandvoll in Widerøe to VG.

The airlines ask people to meet as normal unless they are told otherwise.

Norwegian states that no flights are canceled on Sunday, but that unforeseen problems that require the supervision of an aircraft technician can lead to cancellations.

– For the time being, we do not know what the consequences will be during the week, says communications consultant Silje Glorvigen in Norwegian.

At SAS, traffic runs as normal, at least from the morning onwards.

– Without technicians, we expect that challenges will arise quickly, says spokesman Lars Wegelstorp Andersen in SAS to VG.

Affects many travelers

The aircraft technician strike started last Saturday and has already led to several canceled flights.

The core of the dispute has been the aircraft technicians’ demand of NOK 60 more per hour, which corresponds to a salary increase of 17 percent. NHO believes this is unrealistically high.

The strike was stepped up this weekend when 38 new members of NFO were taken out. A total of 106 technicians have been taken out to roast.

– The lockout that has now come into force, will affect very many travelers who are going on holiday, the airlines in Norway and everyone who is dependent on flights in our long-distance country, says Lothe.

He adds that NHO apologizes for this, but claims that they do not experience any willingness on the part of the other party NFO to resolve the conflict.

– Our phone is on, and we hope the aircraft technicians take the initiative to get the negotiations on a constructive track before more air passengers are affected by the conflict, Lothe says.