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On Thursday at 0640, Wizz Air flew domestically in Norway for the first time. The trip was from Oslo to Trondheim.
Various places in the country demonstrated the Pilots Association.
– They have prevented people from organizing. They engage in non-Norwegian social dumping, Pilots Association leader Oddbjørn Holsether tells NRK.
He and many others showed up at Gardermoen on Thursday to demonstrate against the Wizz Air startup in Norway.
Many react to the attitudes of the company, including the unions. The Pilots Association believes that the company prevents people from organizing.
Ask the police to investigate the company.
The actions against Wizz Air take place at the airports of Oslo, Stavanger, Bergen, Trondheim and Bodø.
The Pilots Association has also asked the police to be involved in the start-up of the company in Norway.
– They must see if the terms offered by Wizz Air are sufficient to earn a living in Norway. Ryanair had to adjust the salary level at Rygge when they were based there, because they could not afford to earn a living in Norway. So this is what we want the police to look at.
Wizz Air, which comes from Hungary, has stated that it depends on the employees even if they want to organize. They believe that they do not hinder unionism.
Holsether thinks these are just empty words.
– We have no reason to suppose that they have changed their attitude at this point.
BODØ: Also in Bodø, the Pilots Association demonstrated against Wizz Air.
Photo: Gisle Forland / NRK
Wizz Air is looking forward to it
Although many are dissatisfied with the company, Communications Manager Andreas Rado says this is a great day.
– We are very excited that today we start our domestic flights in Norway. Wizz Air offers competitive services to our Norwegian customers, Rado writes in an email to NRK.
He also writes that interest has been great and that travel sales have gone better than they had imagined.
The criticism of the opposition to trade unionism, he believes, does not give a correct image.
– Wizz Air encourages our employees to speak out loud and share their opinions with the company. We want an open and honest culture that has proven successful among our colleagues, Rado writes in the email.
GETTING STARTED: Wizz Air began its domestic flights in Norway on Thursday. Here, a Wizz Air plane landed at Værnes airport.
Photo: Morten Andersen / NRK
Establish bases in Norway
The company has also been criticized for failing to establish bases in Norway. The Civil Aviation Authority now confirms that Wizz Air has requested this.
– The Civil Aviation Authority has asked Wizz Air for information on whether they should establish one or more bases in Norway. Wizz Air confirms that they will establish two bases in Norway. They have also requested a meeting with the Civil Aviation Authority, writes director Wenche Olsen.
Olsen says this will give them a chance to see how the company treats its employees.
– When Wizz Air establishes a base in Norway, the Civil Aviation Authority will have a role as a labor inspection for flight personnel associated with these bases, writes Olsen.
Expect a lot from Wizz Air
On Thursday at 0740 the first Wizz Air plane landed in Trondheim. At 1:30 p.m. a new one lands. Even then there will be demonstrations.
– We think it is good that they establish a base here, but then we hope that they follow the Norwegian rules of working life. This means that employees in Norway will be able to organize, says Stian Kvam.
He is the deputy director of the Pilots Association. Kvam says they are not afraid of competition, but are concerned that the rules of working life should be the same in the Norwegian aviation industry.
– There is a free flow of labor, but there cannot be a free flow of working conditions.
ACTION IN TRONDHEIM: Wizz Air’s first domestic flight was from Oslo to Trondheim. Here they were also greeted by protesters. Trond Solberg, Deputy Leader of the Pilots Association, Anneli Nyberg, Deputy Leader of Parat and Stian Holmlimo Kvam, Deputy Leader of the Pilots Association.
Photo: Stein Lorentzen / NRK
