The ISS has notified Nav of 1,000 layoffs – E24

Access to the E24 figures has been made to show that the company notified Nav in late September of the mass layoffs.

The Work Environment Act defines a mass layoff as the firing of more than ten employees within 30 days. Employers considering implementing this should notify Nav as soon as possible.

– The process has not been completed and we are not yet completely sure of the exact number we need to reduce, but we can confirm that the number will unfortunately be significant, writes communications director Ronny Pettersen in an email to E24.

In addition, it states that all service areas of the company are affected.

– The first part of the process will be completed by the end of November 2020, writes the director of ISS.

“Dramatic loss”

The services and services company ISS Facility Services, which, among other things, operates the cleaning, dining and assistance services, has around 7,000 employees.

In October, ISS announced that it was cutting 72 jobs at the Oslo airport. Before the crown crisis, the company was 198 man-years at the airport.

– Some of our segments are heavily affected by the corona epidemic and with a dramatic loss of job duties, we unfortunately have to adapt our own organization, writes Pettersen.

E24 has requested an interview with the company. This request has been denied. In an email, Pettersen writes that he “unfortunately doesn’t have time for this” and that the response covers what the company wants to say about the case.

Therefore, it is currently unclear when the layoffs will be implemented.

Club Leader: – Ille

The club leader of the department that works with the assistance services at the Oslo airport, Irene Fahre, reacts to the company’s decision to resign instead of firing him.

He points out that the government has expanded the layoff plan and that those laid off receive 80 percent of their salary for 52 weeks.

But they still choose to fire people, so they drop to 62.4 percent in unemployment benefits in already small part-time jobs, he says.

– It’s bad for people, continue.

It even works with assistance for disabled travelers. The department has about 100 employees, many of whom work part-time. According to the club leader, about 40 percent of the department’s employees have lost their jobs since September.

– We estimate that around 70 percent of the number of employees will be laid off and that the number of man-years will be reduced by 65 percent. There are still some layoffs and we expect there to be more by the end of the month, he says.

ISS: – Sad

In the last eight months, ISS has laid off several thousand employees. E24 has asked the company why they will lay off employees when the layoff regime is extended.

– In dialogue with our clients, and based on their future needs assessments, we work hard to assess the scope. We have chosen to continue layoffs for more employees, but unfortunately this is not a possible solution for everyone, writes communications director Ronny Pettersen in an email.

He states that since the start of the pandemic, they have had the ambition to put all the laid off workers back to work.

– For us, as an employer, it is sad to see that society does not return to normal quickly enough and that unfortunately we have to implement the reduction, he writes.

Comprehensive

The Norwegian Trade Union Confederation organizes around 2,000 cleaning workers in the ISS.

– This is very tragic. It is very sad for our members that the ISS is forced to take that step, says Federal Secretary Trine Wiig Hagen.

She is also skeptical that the company is laying off employees rather than expanding layoffs.

– I understand that the company must take action, but going to layoffs when the corona measures are still applied is sad.

Union delegate Irene Skugge Olsen in ISS’s cleaning department says she doesn’t have an overview of how many people will lose their jobs in her department, but it is clear that there will be a reduction.

– Right now we are working on discussion meetings. Layoffs include a lot, he says.

– Many employees are very concerned about their work. I think that applies to the entire company and to society in general, he adds.

Worried about the future

Trine Wiig Hansen at Arbeidsmannsforbundet says she understands that it will take time before parts of the company’s operations return to normal.

– But in some places the workload has also increased. Those who have to stay open during these hours must, for example, have more cleaning and other routines than daily cleaning.

Irene Fahre, the club leader at Gardermoen, says employees are having a difficult time.

– It is very hard. You get very bored. They already have small positions in low-paying occupations and are now reducing their income even further.