Wages and working conditions may be regulated by statutory law and collective agreements and employment contracts. Collective agreements are agreements between a trade union and an employer organisation or an individual employer. In a Norwegian context, such agreements usually consist of two parts: A basic agreement that governs the relationship between organisations and predominant rules, and a national agreement regulating wages and working conditions for a certain industry or a sector.
A collective agreement is applicable within a limited part of the labour market, such as within an industry, a profession or a sector. Agreements are valid only within companies where they have been applied. However, many companies who are not bound by a collective agreement practice parts of collective agreements on a voluntary basis. The collective agreements can also be made generally applicable, and thus be given effect for companies other than those who are bound by them.
The Work Environment Act and the collective agreements play together in different ways. Firstly, legislation may have regulations that can be waived by a collective agreement. Secondly, collective agreements may provide superior rights for employees than the law stipulates. Finally, collective agreements regulate topics that are not regulated by the Work Environment Act, such as payment for unsociable working hours.
The relationship between the Working Environment Act and collective agreements, the scope and development of collective agreements, and industrial disputes and conflict resolution, constitute key research areas at Fafo.
Anders Kjellberg & Kristine Nergaard
Union Density in Norway and Sweden: Stability versus Decline Nordic Journal of Working Life Studies , 2022Elin Svarstad & Ragnar Nymoen
Wage inequality and union membership at the establishment level: An econometric study using Norwegian data Oxford Economic Papers , 2022Laust Høgedahl Aalborg, Kristine Nergaard & Kristin Alsos
Trade Unions in the Nordic Labor Market Models – Signs of Erosion? Introduction to the Special Issue Nordic Journal of Working Life Studies , 2022Elin Svarstad & Fredrik B. Kostøl
Unions, collective agreements and productivityCamilla Houeland, David C. Jordhus-Lier & Frida Hambro Angell
Solidarity tested: The case of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO‐Norway) and its contradictory climate change policies Area , 2021Kristin Jesnes, Denis Neumann, Vera Trappmann & Pauline de Becdelièvre
The role of worker collectives among app-based food delivery couriers in France, Germany and Norway: All the same or different? , 2021Kristine Nergaard & Elin Svarstad
Fagorganisering blant unge nyansatte – hva betyr «et kollektivt trykk»? , 2021Paul Marginson and Jon Erik Dølvik
Northern European Collective Wage Bargaining in the Face of Major Political-Economic Challenges: Common and Differing Trajectories Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research , 2020Inger Marie Hagen & Ragnhild Steen Jensen
Trade union representatives from ethnic minorities. Representation revisited , 2018Torsten Müller, Jon Erik Dølvik, Christian Ibsen, Thorsten Schulten
The manufacturing sector: Still an anchor for pattern bargaining within and across countries? , 2018Jens Arnholtz, Guglielmo Meardi, Johannes Oldervoll
Collective wage bargaining under strain in northern European constructionDølvik, J. E., Marginson, P., Alsos, K., Arnholtz, J., Meardi, G., Müller, T. & Trygstad, S.
Collective wage regulation in northern Europe under strainJon Erik Dølvik & Paul Marginson
European Journal of Industrial Relations , 2018Jon Erik Dølvik & Paul Marginson
Cross-sectoral coordination and regulation of wage determination in northern EuropeHansen, Nana Wesley and Åsmund Arup Seip
Government employers in Sweden, Denmark and Norway European Journal of Industrial Relations , 2017Åsmund Arup Seip, Kristin Alsos & Pål Nygaard
I arbeidsfredens tjeneste. Arbeidsretten gjennom 100 år , 2016Jens Arnholtz & Line Eldring
Varying perceptions of social dumping in similar countries , 2015 Market expansion and social dumping in Europe.Line Eldring and Kristin Alsos
The Nordic Countries , 2015Line Eldring
Lovbasert minstelønnsregulering: Løsning eller forbannelse? Europarättslig tidsskrift , 2015Kristine Nergaard, E. Barth & H. Dale-Olsen
Organisasjonsgraden på arbeidstakersiden – hvordan påvirkes denne av endringene i arbeidslivet? , 2015Kristine Nergaard og C. Hansteen
Tvister om valg av tariffavtale og om organisasjonsgrenser , 2015Kristine Nergaard, Erling Barth og Harald Dale-Olsen
Lavere organisasjonsgrad, et spørsmål om nykommere? , 2015Jon Erik Dølvik, Line Eldring and Jelle Visser
Setting Wage Floors in Open MarketsKristin Alsos og Line Eldring
Lovfestet minstelønn i Norge? Søkelys på arbeidslivet , 2014Svalund, J. and H. Kervinen
Trade union power during labour adjustments – comparison of company-level cases Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research , 2013Svalund, J., G. B. Casinowsky, Dølvik, J. E. Håkansson, K,Jarvensivu, A., Kervinen, H., Møberg, R. J., Piirainen, T.
Stress testing the Nordic models: Manufacturing labour adjustments during crisis European Journal of Industrial Relations , 2013Svalund, J.
Adjusting labour through crisis: A three industry comparison Economic and Industrial Democracy , 2013Line Eldring & Thorsten Schulten
Migrant workers and wage-setting institutions: Experiences from Germany, Norway, Switzerland and the UK , 2012Kristin Alsos
Tvungen lønnsnemnd – finnes det alternativer? Arbeidsrett og arbeidsliv , 2010Kristin Alsos og Line Eldring
Labour mobility and wage dumping: The case of Norway European Journal of Industrial Relations , 2008Mona Bråten og Jon Erik Dølvik
Norge: Nasjonal krise og internasjonal vekst - utfordringer for fagorganisasjonene , 2003 I: P. Blomqvist & S. Murhem Fackliga strategier för at möta globalisering och regionalisering innom metallindustrinInger Marie Hagen
Fagforeningsstrategier ved oppsigelser i offentlig sektor , 1995J. Arrowsmith, Heidi Nicolaisen, B. Bechter and R. Nonell
The Management of Variable Pay in Banking: Forms and Rationales in Four European Countries Bullentin of Comparative Labour RelationsCamilla Houeland & David Jordhus-Lier
Oljearbeiderne – samfunnsbyggere eller bremseklosser? Cappelen Damm Akademisk , 2021Line Eldring and Kristin Alsos
Statutory minimum wage regulation in Europe. A necessary evil? , 2015T. Schulten, T. Müller & L. Eldring
Prospects and obstacles of a European minimum wage policy , 2015Andreas Benedictow, Bjorn Dapi, Fernanda Winger Eggen, Hege Marie Gjefsen, Anders Kjelsrud, Jonas Måøy, Maja Tofteng og Elin Svarstad
Evaluering av ordningen med allmenngjøring av tariffavtaler , 2021Arild H. Steen, Kristine Nergaard & Ida Drange
Organisering av uorganiserte , 2017Anne Mette Ødegård
Debatthefte for NNN , 2016Line Eldring
Allmenngjøring av tariffavtaler , 2015Kristine Nergaard
Trade Unions in NorwayElin Svarstad
Lønn og lønnsforskjeller blant siviløkonomer og sivilingeniører i privat sektorKristine Nergaard
Fagorganisering i norsk arbeidsliv , 2015Kristin Alsos og Line Eldring
Virker allmenngjøring? , 2006T. Midtsundstad
Hvor mange har rett til å gå av med AFP? Trygd & Pensjon (tidl. Skattebetaleren) , 2004Line Eldring
The most vulnerable: Minimum wages for domestic workers. , 2001T. Midtsundstad
Yrke, utdanning og fagorganisering , 1995Engelstad, F., J. Svalund, I. M. Hagen og A. E. Storvik
Makt og demokrati i arbeidslivet , 2003 Makt og deomokrati i arbeidslivet.