Norway Offshore Service Provider Disputes Furloughs 400 Workers, Industry Group Says

About 400 workers have been furloughed by offshore service providers on the Norwegian continental shelf, amid an industrial dispute with employees covered under the well service agreement and represented by trade union Safe, according to industry group Offshore Norway. "We can confirm that around 400 employees among the affected 12 companies have been temporarily laid off because of the ongoing strike," Stian Danielsen, communication manager for employer policy at Offshore Norway, told. Offshore Norway represents energy exploration, production and supply companies working on the Norwegian continental shelf. Companies are temporarily suspending, or placing workers on leave, because of a slowdown in operations due to the strike, which has lasted more than three weeks. This covers all workers, whether they are represented by Safe or not, according to Danielsen. Offshore Norway said its member companies were facing financial losses to the tune of several hundred million Norwegian kroner per week. In total, around 7,200 employees are covered by the well service agreement, Danielsen said. The collective labor contract establishes the pay, safety, and schedules for specialized.