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EXPLAINED: Why should I join a Norwegian trade union?

For those entering the Norwegian labour market for the first time, it is important to consider joining a union. There are several things to take into account before deciding which provider is right for you.

EXPLAINED: Why should I join a Norwegian trade union?
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The primary purpose of Norway’s trade unions (fagforeninger) is to support members’ working rights and the terms and conditions of their employment. Unions play a key role in negotiating salary and other conditions with employers, and settling disputes.

Unions are generally organized within professional areas or sectors, for example Skolenes landsforbund (Norwegian Union of School Employees) or Handel og Kontor i Norge (The Norwegian Union of Commerce and Office Employees, HK).

You can contact the union that is relevant to your professional area to find out about the salary and working conditions you can expect to receive in Norway.

Individual trade unions are generally further linked to larger, usually national, umbrella organizations or confederations for professional groups. Using the above examples, both the Norwegian Union of School Employees and The Norwegian Union of Commerce and Office Employees are part of LO or Landsorganisasjonen i Norge (LO Norway).

With over 900,000 members in 24 trade unions, LO is Norway's biggest organization for employees, but there are three others. These include Unio (The Confederation of Unions for Professionals), which counts nursing, police and other types of academic and healthcare professions amongst its affiliates; and the Confederation of Vocational Unions (Yrkesorganisasjonenes Sentralforbund, YS), which has 19 affiliated unions encompassing several sectors. Examples include unions for librarians, tax agency workers and dairy workers.

The final confederation is Akademikerne, which consists of 13 different unions and has a total membership of just under 200,000. Members of these are primarily business professionals with a master's degree or equivalent education al background.

The central organisations can refer you to the affiliated union that is connected to your professional group or field. Their websites are linked below.

 

​​​​​​​So what can a trade union do for me?

It is common in Norway for employees, including white-collar employees and management, to join a union. In 2018, 1,857,787 working people in the country were union members and close to 52 percent of all people in employment were union members in 2013. Although that is the lowest proportion amongst the Nordic countries, it is still much higher than the OECD value of 17 percent.

Unions can offer a variety of services and support to their members, such as reviewing employment contracts and other legal support, providing discounts on insurances and other products, and offering networking opportunities. Unions are generally focused around a specific profession or trade. Unions can help their members in the event of disputes between the member and their employer.

Many of the unions have websites with a section in English, which give a description of the types of professions that they cover. If you are still unsure of which to pick, you can always ask your co-workers for advice, especially those that are in the same profession or trade.

Tax deduction for trade union fees

If you are in employment, you can request a tax deduction on membership fees you have paid to a trade union.

Although this might be automatically included on your tax return, it is worth checking that this is the case.

You can find out how much you are entitled to in tax deductions via the Norwegian Tax Administration (Skatteetaten) website.

Sources: Skatteetaten, Statistisk sentralbyrå, Nordic Co-operation

Are there any general or specific topics related to working, living, studying or anything else in Norway that you'd like us to write about in detail? Let us know — we'd like to hear your suggestions.

READ ALSO: New laws: Here’s what changes in Norway in 2020

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WORKING IN NORWAY

First steps: What to know when searching for a job in Norway 

Whether you have recently arrived in Norway or have worked here before but are now unemployed or looking for a new opportunity, this is how you should start your job search. 

First steps: What to know when searching for a job in Norway 

Norway draws thousands of foreigners to the country for work each year. High wages and decent job security mean that many who arrive in the country for work end up staying. 

Whether you’ve recently arrived in Norway, lost your job, or are looking for your next challenge, there are several crucial steps you need to take to aid your search. 

Register as a job seeker or unemployed, and register with the police 

Those who have already worked and paid taxes and national insurance in Norway may be able to register as a job seeker with the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV) and receive financial support while they search. 

NAV is also one of the go-to places for job listings in Norway, along with Finn-no, so it should be considered an excellent place to start your search. 

Meanwhile, others may need to register with the police that they have lost their job under the conditions of their residence permit. 

READ ALSO: How work permit holders can stay in Norway if they lose their job

Therefore, if you have already spent some time in Norway, you need to check whether you are required to register as a job seeker. 

Be aware that some forms of financial assistance from NAV can delay your eligibility for some citizenship and residence rights. This mainly concerns økonomisk sosialhjelp, but you should still check the rules. 

If you are required to register as a job seeker with the police, be sure to do so as soon as possible. 

Take time to refresh your CV and do some research 

Before getting fully stuck into your job search, it may be worth seeing if there are any ways you can tweak your CV to make it any more appealing to Norwegian recruiters. 

When it comes to writing a CV, there are plenty of templates online adapted to what’s typical in Norway. 

Additionally, many recommend replacing the word “I” with “we” where appropriate to show you are a good team player. 

If your Norwegian skills are good enough, try and write up the CV in Norwegian. If not, stick to English. If you submit a CV that somebody else has translated for you, the employer may feel that you are trying to deceive them by pretending that your Norwegian skills are better than they really are.

Some foreigners in Norway have reported changing their names to a more “Norwegian one” on their CVs. While this might sound like a smart hack on the surface, it could lead to awkward situations later in the job-hunting process. 

READ ALSO: The dos and don’ts of writing a killer CV to impress Norwegian recruiters 

Research can also provide a massive boost to your job hunting. If you only have the language skills to work in English, it’s best to put together a shortlist of all the companies in your industry with English as the working language. 

Additionally, Statistics Norway, the National Data Agency for Norway, keeps quite detailed statistics on the average and median wages in certain professions and sectors. This should give you an overview of how much you should expect to earn and will prove advantageous further down the line. 

Looking for jobs 

There are several places to look for jobs in Norway. As we’ve mentioned, NAV has most of the job listings in the country offered on its site. Users can also filter jobs by whether they require English or Norwegian. 

Finn.no is most people’s place to look for jobs. On the site, you can fill out a profile and be sent a weekly roundup of jobs that match your profile. 

Besides these sites, LinkedIn is also popular. Many international companies with English as the working language post their opportunities on Linkedin; therefore, it’s worth making a shortlist of companies to follow on the site as you’ll be notified whenever a job is posted. 

The Local Norway also has a page featuring jobs and opportunities across Norway

It’s also common to find jobs via one’s personal network. If you have a network established in Norway already, you should heavily consider asking around. 

There are also several recruiters in Norway who can help match you up with a job suited to your skills and experience. If you need a new job and an income stream as soon as possible, recruiters offer plenty of opportunities. 

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