Trondheim faces largest impact as hotel and restaurant strike set to expand

The Norwegian Union of General Workers (Fellesforbundet) has warned that a strike in the hotel and restaurant sector will escalate on Thursday unless an agreement is reached, with Trondheim set to be the hardest hit, Dagbladet reports.

If the strike expands, over 1,000 additional workers across 79 companies will walk out, bringing the total number of striking employees to 2,668 across 185 businesses. The action follows failed mediation between the union and the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise’s (NHO) travel and hospitality division.

Trondheim’s Britannia Hotel, with 113 union members, will be the single most affected workplace. In total, 49 businesses in Trondheim, 18 in Tromsø, and four in Sandefjord face potential strike action.

Membership surge amid wage dispute

Børge Ånesen, the union’s regional leader for Trøndelag, described a “huge” increase in membership since the strike began on Sunday, with 68 new members joining in just three days—far exceeding typical recruitment rates. “The motivation among those striking is very high,” he said.

The union’s core demands include “a living wage” and “security during illness,” arguing that many workers live paycheck to paycheck and cannot afford unpaid sick leave. Employers are being asked to advance sickness benefits to prevent financial hardship.

Ånesen emphasized the union’s readiness for a prolonged dispute: “We have a tradition of standing firm. In 2016, we struck for four weeks; in 2002, over five weeks. We’ll stay out until our demands are met.”

The initial strike, launched in Oslo and Bergen, involved 1,627 workers. The union accuses employers of failing to address precarious financial conditions for low-wage staff in the sector.