Strike in defence of Posten on Monday. Oslo metro and trams to stop for 15 minutes

The strike will begin at 13:30 across Norway. It was called by Fagforbundet, the country’s largest trade union, which has more than 418,000 members. It is a political strike, meaning a short, pre-announced work stoppage. Employees are protesting politicians’ decisions, rather than their employer. This is the first time Fagforbundet has itself called such a nationwide strike.

Posten warns that on Monday, letters will be sorted and delivered with delays in many places. This applies especially to Oslo and other larger cities where demonstrations will take place. Most delayed letters are expected to arrive on the next day when the postman visits the relevant address. There should be no major problems with parcels, although they may also be delayed in some places.

Employees of Sporveien, the company that operates the Oslo metro and trams, will join the strike. Ruter, the public transport authority, confirms that on Monday, from 15:00 to 15:15, the metro and trams will not operate. Metro trains and trams will travel to the nearest station or stop and wait there until the strike ends. Delays may still occur for some time after 15:15. Neither Ruter nor the union mentions buses.

“We are choosing a short political strike in order not to affect bystanders too much,” says Ola Floberg, head of the Sporveien employees’ union in Fagforbundet. He says that until 15:00, the metro and trams will run as normal so people can get to the demonstration.

The union has announced 40 demonstrations. The main one will take place in Oslo at Eidsvolls plass, in front of the Storting, Norway’s parliament, from 15:00 to 15:45. Speakers will include Fagforbundet chair Helene Harsvik Skeibrok; the leaders of three parties, Trygve Slagsvold Vedum (Sp), Kirsti Bergstø (SV) and Marie Sneve Martinussen (Rødt); as well as Siren Jensen from MDG and LO confederation leader Kine Asper Vistnes.

Times in other cities:

• 15:00–15:45: Bergen (Torgallmenningen), Stavanger (Torget), Trondheim (Trondheim torg), Kristiansand (Kirkegata by Torvet), Tromsø (Strandtorget), as well as Tønsberg, Fredrikstad, Hamar, Narvik, Harstad and Alta, among others,
• 15:00–16:00: Ålesund and Molde (Rådhusplassen),
• 14:30–15:30: Arendal (Kanalplassen),
• from 13:30: including Askim, Oppdal, Støren and Røros.

The Labour Party (Ap) government presented its budget proposal on 7 October. In 2027, the state wants to pay Posten NOK 1.52 billion for postal services, around 24 per cent less than this year. From 1 July 2027, the postman would deliver letters once a week. Currently, deliveries are made every other day. Those wishing to receive letters more often could collect them from a pick-up point five days a week. Parcel deliveries are not expected to change.

Transport Minister Kamzy Gunaratnam (Ap) explained that people are sending fewer and fewer letters. According to her, we will soon receive only one letter per week on average.

Fagforbundet accepts letter deliveries once a week. However, it wants Posten to receive a new task in return: a “doorstep” service (dørterskeltjenesten). Once a week, the postman would bring mail and information from the municipality directly to the doors of people over the age of 75. The service has already been tested in nine municipalities. The union wants it to run nationwide as a three-year trial.

If the change comes into force, letters will take longer to arrive. People with a digital mailbox (Digipost or e-Boks) receive official correspondence there, for example from NAV or the Norwegian Tax Administration (Skatteetaten).

The “doorstep” service is supported by SV, Rødt, Sp and MDG, which have included it in their own budget proposals. The Labour Party government is currently negotiating the budget in the Storting with these four parties. The outcome of those talks will determine what happens to Posten.