OSLO, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of offshore workers in Norway went on strike Tuesday after unsuccessful negotiations on wage settlement between labor union Safe and the Norwegian Shipowners' Association, online newspaper E24 reported.
A total of 669 offshore workers on nine installations on the Norwegian continental shelf opted for labor action and more installations might be closed as a result of the strike, according to the report.
In addition to the 669 workers who went on strike, another 901 members can join them at midnight Sunday if there is no agreement, Safe announced.
The labor union believes that the Norwegian Shipowners' Association will weaken a pension scheme that the workers have today, E24 wrote.
Jakob Korsgaard, negotiations leader of the association, said they could not accommodate Safe's requirements during the mediation.
"The requirements, when comparing them with regulations for other occupational groups in industry and society as a whole, are completely unreasonable. Safe management's handling of the negotiation is directly irresponsible," Korsgaard said.
