Norwegian airport strike looms as wage talks collapse

Wage negotiations between the HK Norway union and NHO Luftfart, the employers’ association for aviation, have broken down, raising the risk of strikes at Norwegian airports during the peak summer travel period, Dagbladet reports.

Christopher Beckham, head of HK Norway, confirmed the collapse in a statement Tuesday evening, accusing employers of refusing to engage with union demands. “We have not been met on our claims, and we find that NHO Luftfart is not coming to the table,” he said.

The dispute covers around 1,200 airport workers, including check-in, gate, and ticket counter staff. HK Norway has warned that if no agreement is reached through state-mediated talks, a full strike will follow. No date for mediation has yet been set, but the union cautioned that disruption during the summer holiday season is now likely.

Beckham expressed disappointment, stating that the union had entered talks with a clear intention to reach a deal. “The employer side has not wanted to discuss,” he said.

Erik Lahnstein, CEO of NHO Luftfart, disputed the union’s account, describing negotiations as “constructive” with a “very orderly tone.” He acknowledged, however, that the parties remained far apart. “We now unfortunately have to conclude that the gap was extremely wide,” Lahnstein told Dagbladet, adding that both sides would enter mediation with the goal of reaching an agreement.