"The changes will mean a lot for those workers who are involuntarily without a job for longer periods," said Marianne Sivertsen Næss, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, about the new measure.
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The Norwegian government has announced that it will temporarily extend the period of unemployment benefits for layoffs in the fishing industry from 26 to 52 weeks within a period of 18 months. The changes that will be applied to individuals are aimed at securing income for those workers in the sector who have been laid off for a long time.
"People should be ensured an income when they suddenly find themselves without a job for an extended period. The current rules have negatively impacted employees in the fishing industry, which the government wants to correct. We have listened to the industry and therefore propose to strengthen the rights of the employees," said Minister of Labor and Inclusion, Tonje Brenna.
The association of Norwegian Seafood Companies (Sjømatbedriftene) requested this change from the government in March, claiming that the still current 26-week period was posing "significant" challenges for both the businesses and the employees and that the consequences of the current rules - amended in 2023 - could end up with many going without income or employers being forced to send them into unemployment.
"The despair is great among many of our businesses, as it is among all the employees who are now without income or will soon be without it. I urge the Minister of Labor to listen to those who are directly affected. Both the employee and employer sides are united on this issue," Robert H. Eriksson, CEO of Sjømatbedriftene, said then.
In its announcement, the Government has emphasized that it will make these changes because there are special rules for the use of suspensions in the fishing industry in Norway. Among other things, employers have no wage obligations, either at the beginning or at the end of the suspension period. Unless they are reinstated in the company, workers have no claim to wages and are not entitled to unemployment benefits, unless they are laid off and can thus apply for ordinary unemployment benefits.
The working group that reviewed the special rules of 2023 noted that, as Sjømatbedriftene had warned, the lack of wage obligations could leave those suspended in the fishing industry completely without income after the maximum unemployment benefit period of 26 weeks is exhausted within an 18-month period. "Although this applies to relatively few, the consequences for those laid off seem unreasonable and unintended," reads the announcement issued jointly by the Norwegian Ministries of Industry and Fisheries and Labor and Inclusion.
As said above, initially, the Norwegian government will extend the period of unemployment benefits for those suspended from 26 to 52 weeks, and this will come into effect as soon as possible. Subsequently, the government will issue a consultation paper proposing to introduce wage obligations after 26 weeks for companies in the fishing industry similar to the suspension scheme that other companies have.
"The fishing industry is characterized by natural fluctuations in fish availability," Marianne Sivertsen Næss, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, stated in this regard. "We are now in a challenging period for many in the fishing industry, with low quotas for several of the important fish stocks. This means less raw material for the fishing industry and thus an increased chance of layoffs. The changes will mean a lot for those workers who are involuntarily without a job for longer periods."
