Posted: July 1st, 2015

Norwegian Air shuttles grounded

On March 4 2015, many passengers in Norway, Sweden and Denmark woke up to a rude shock; Norwegian Air was not in service. An intense strike by pilots paralyzed all the activities of the Airline in three countries. Approximately 35, 000 passengers were stranded because of the stalemate that existed between the Airline and the Federation of Norwegian Aviation. The stalemate between the Union and the Airline was characterized by poor negotiation skills that were exemplified by claims of poor communication networks and an inadequate working environment.

Experts contend that the work environment can greatly influence the way employees feel about their jobs. A positive work environment has the ability to make the employer feel good about working in a certain organization; this is because a good work environment provides motivation to sustain the employees. Molesworth (2003) posits that, every organization should embrace open communication to address what the employee feels (Molesworth 36). Through open communication work becomes meaningful because the employees are able to contribute positively to their organizations. The Airline was not prepared for the crisis; Schoenberg (2005) contends that every organization should be adequately prepared for a crisis (Schoenberg 4)

The Norwegian pilot walkout began on February 28; it was called by the Norwegian Pilot Union after unsuccessful talks with the Federation of the Norwegian Aviation. The controversy surrounding this case was more than the wages (NordicPage par 1). The Union cited poor working conditions in Norway, Denmark and Sweden; it claimed that, the poor conditions were as a result of the Airline attempts to cut costs. The airline cut costs in the Pilots pensions and costly insurance, the pilots demanded for a new collective agreement (NordicPage). In its defense, the Norwegian Air claimed that essential cost reductions were significant in ensuring that the company was sustainable and that it secured Jobs. In a statement released to the press, the company said “the union did not meet these criteria” (NordicPage par 3).

The event resulted in unexpected circumstances, with the most obvious being the decline of the company stock, this came at a time when the Norway Airline was pursuing one of the most ambitious aviation growth plans (NordicPage par 4). In a move to save the day, the Norway airline said that it would bring in pilots from the other European countries to cover for those who went on strike. Not only was the move ineffective, the union termed it as a strike-breaking move that aimed at keeping the company running, but not solving the issues that were pertinent (NordicPage). The strike was not only detrimental to the Norwegian Airline but also to the Pilots who were forced to recognize the changes that were taking place in the labor market; this was a challenge to both the labor union and the Norwegian.

Work cited

Molesworth, Helen. Work Ethic. Penn State: Penn State University Press, 2003.

NordicPage. Norwegian Strike May Affect Air Traffic. 28 2 2015. 24 4 2015 <http://www.tnp.no/Norway/economy/4844-Norwegian-strike-may-affect-air-traffic>.

Schoenberg, A. “Do crisis plans matter? A new perspective on leading during a crisis.” Public Relations Quarterly (2005): 2-6.