Norwegian Seafarers' Union
Encyclopedia
The Norwegian Seafarers' Union (NSU) is a trade union
in Norway
. The union was established 25 September 1910 under the name Norsk Matros- og Fyrbøter-Union (Norwegian Sailor and Stoker Union). Current name was adapted 1933, though the use of the current English translation was gradually changed over several years around 2000 from Norwegian Seamen's Union. The change came in order to emphasise NSU's international work for equal opportunities regardless of gender.
The NSU is open for all categories of seafarers from Apprentice Seafarer to Master, but mainly organize all groups of ratings both on deck and in engine, the catering personnel, and some groups of officers like the Steward and the Chief Electrician. The NSU has members sailing both worldwide and domestic, amongst others in cruise, ferries, oil-related offshore/supply, aboard the deep sea fishing fleet and aboard local freighters. The union has 11,500 members, of which 10,000 are working members.
Additional 35,000 non-domicile seafarers are covered by collective bargaining
agreements (CBA) negotiated with NSU as either the only employee part or being employee part as one of several cooperating unions. When cooperating internationally with other unions on CBAs the NSU operates through formalized partnerships with other seafarers' unions affiliated with the ITF
, usually the national seafarers' union(s) of the concerned seafarers' home country. These international CBAs are usually covering seafarers working on ships under Flag of convenience
(FOC) as defined by the ITF, or on ships in the Norwegian International Ship Register
(NIS), where Norwegian law allows for non-domicile seafarers employed on local employment conditions (usually with much lower wages) of the seafarers' home country.
The Norwegian Seafarers' Union has been affiliated nationally with the LO
from its founding in 1910. Internationally the NSU is affiliated with the Nordic Transport Workers' Federation, the ETF and the ITF
. The NSU shares Main Office with the Norwegian Maritime Officers' Association and the Norwegian Union of Marine Engineers in Oslo. The three unions regularly operate closely together both in domestic matters and internationally as the Norwegian Maritime Unions (Sjømannsorganisasjonene i Norge).
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. The union was established 25 September 1910 under the name Norsk Matros- og Fyrbøter-Union (Norwegian Sailor and Stoker Union). Current name was adapted 1933, though the use of the current English translation was gradually changed over several years around 2000 from Norwegian Seamen's Union. The change came in order to emphasise NSU's international work for equal opportunities regardless of gender.
The NSU is open for all categories of seafarers from Apprentice Seafarer to Master, but mainly organize all groups of ratings both on deck and in engine, the catering personnel, and some groups of officers like the Steward and the Chief Electrician. The NSU has members sailing both worldwide and domestic, amongst others in cruise, ferries, oil-related offshore/supply, aboard the deep sea fishing fleet and aboard local freighters. The union has 11,500 members, of which 10,000 are working members.
Additional 35,000 non-domicile seafarers are covered by collective bargaining
Collective bargaining
Collective bargaining is a process of negotiations between employers and the representatives of a unit of employees aimed at reaching agreements that regulate working conditions...
agreements (CBA) negotiated with NSU as either the only employee part or being employee part as one of several cooperating unions. When cooperating internationally with other unions on CBAs the NSU operates through formalized partnerships with other seafarers' unions affiliated with the ITF
International Transport Workers' Federation
The International Transport Workers' Federation is a global union federation of transport workers' trade unions, founded in 1896. In 2009 the ITF had 654 member organizations in 148 countries, representing a combined membership of 4.5 million workers....
, usually the national seafarers' union(s) of the concerned seafarers' home country. These international CBAs are usually covering seafarers working on ships under Flag of convenience
Flag of convenience
The term flag of convenience describes the business practice of registering a merchant ship in a sovereign state different from that of the ship's owners, and flying that state's civil ensign on the ship. Ships are registered under flags of convenience to reduce operating costs or avoid the...
(FOC) as defined by the ITF, or on ships in the Norwegian International Ship Register
Norwegian International Ship Register
Norwegian International Ship Register or NIS is a separate Norwegian ship register for Norwegian vessels aimed at competing with flags of convenience registers like Panama, Liberia etc. Originally proposed by Erling Dekke Næss in 1984 it was established in Bergen in 1987 and is managed by the...
(NIS), where Norwegian law allows for non-domicile seafarers employed on local employment conditions (usually with much lower wages) of the seafarers' home country.
The Norwegian Seafarers' Union has been affiliated nationally with the LO
Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions
The Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions is a national trade union center, decidedly the largest and probably the most influential umbrella organization of labour unions in Norway. The 21 national unions affiliated to the LO have more than 850,000 members of a Norwegian population of 4.8 million...
from its founding in 1910. Internationally the NSU is affiliated with the Nordic Transport Workers' Federation, the ETF and the ITF
International Transport Workers' Federation
The International Transport Workers' Federation is a global union federation of transport workers' trade unions, founded in 1896. In 2009 the ITF had 654 member organizations in 148 countries, representing a combined membership of 4.5 million workers....
. The NSU shares Main Office with the Norwegian Maritime Officers' Association and the Norwegian Union of Marine Engineers in Oslo. The three unions regularly operate closely together both in domestic matters and internationally as the Norwegian Maritime Unions (Sjømannsorganisasjonene i Norge).
External links
- Norwegian Seafarers' Union official site. (Norwegian language only)