transportprof

Looks like there are major disruptions in Norway's hotel sector and that these might spread to airports next week:
http://www.newsinenglish.no/2016/05/...-hotel-strike/

Anyone have firsthand experience with the Norwegian hotel strike?

ksu

Most hotels remain open, but some of the largest hotels in Oslo and Bergen are those actually closed. There are reports now, that negotiations might restart after the holidays. With Whitsun Monday tomorrow and Constitution Day on Tuesday business Norway is basically totally closed until Wednesday in any case.

No transportation strikes looming AFAIK. The busdriver's strike was called off more than a week ago.

transportprof

Thanks for the update. I can tell you it's not just Bergen and Oslo that are affected. A workshop that I am participating in Molde next Wednesday, which was supposed to take place at the Scandic Hotel, has been relocated to a boarding school, the Molde Folkehøgskole, because of the strike.

ksu

You do not have to tell me that it is just Bergen and Oslo that are affected; I live in, and travel extensively in Norway, so I certainly know that many hotels are affected and even closed also outside of the major cities

What many of the affected hotels do, to avoid closing, is to reduce non-essential services. E.g. Thon Hotel Opera in Oslo where I stayed last week-end had cut down on cleaning during the stay, ceased all late check-out privileges, simplified their breakfast buffet, and closed the restaurant for lunch and dinner, recommending the bar menu at the bar instead.

Scandic Seilet in Molde is not closed according to their home page, but seems to relocate their conference business.

tyn

I realize it's hard to predict, but any clue what's the outlook for July- August?

I was about to book a ten day tour of Norway but will change destination if it is likely that the hotels will be doing limited service. I want all comforts when on vacation and I much doubt the tour operator will be offering discounts due to the strikes, so it would be annoying to pay in full for partial service.

ksu

It is very unlikely that the strike will last that long. As I wrote in my previous post, there are signals that negotiations might reopen after the weekend (i.e. tomorrow), and this strike has already lasted much longer that strikes usually do here. One reason for that is that the hotel business has a (for Norway) very low union membership rate. In other businesses (airlines, airports) the union membership rate is much higher, the strike hits harder, and the government routinely introduces emergency legislation to stop the strike (called "tvungen lønnsnemnd", meaning something like "enforced arbitration"). This strike is fully legal, and thus follows very strict rules.

The strike is very expensive for both sides, which also speaks for a higher probability for it to end soon.

Do not expect any rebates for loss of services. Legal strikes are force majeure, so your tour operator will not get any reduction from the hotels in question to pass over to you.

My recommendation would be to sit on the fence for a week or so before rebooking to a different destination.

transportprof

I am now on the ground in Molde, Norway, and can report that all the hotels in this city are on strike. One has remained partly operational to serve customers who were already in residence at all the other hotels and transferred at the start of the strike, but no new bookings are being accepted in the short term.

For example, if you try and book a room on Expedia in Molde for Friday, the nearest hotels that are showing available are in Norddal, 50 km. away. It's a mess.

ksu

The national mediator has called a meeting for Tuesday.

ksu

According to the media, the strike will end at noon today, Saturday. The demands of the unions have been met, and everything should be back to normal pretty quickly.

tyn

Thanks for the update and good news, I'd really set my heart on Norway for summer vacation
And I'm glad the workers' effort brought a result.