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June 25th, 2012 
FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda More than 700 offshore workers began their initial phase of the strike at 4:00 am (0200 GMT) on Sunday, partially shutting down operations at two major platforms in the North Sea, AFP reported.
The two oilfields, Heidrun and Oseberg, account for about nine percent or 150,000 barrels per day of Norwegian oil production, and four percent of its total gas output.
The Industrial action, the first of such action by oil workers in Norway since 2004, came after labor unions and oil companies failed to reach an agreement over wage increases and better overtime pay.
The employers also refused to change their decision to cut a pension add-on for employees who retire at 62, three years ahead of the general age for oil workers and five years ahead of Norway’s official retirement age.
“We will not let employers rob us of our pensions. That’s why we are striking,” union chiefs Hilde-Marit Rysst and Leif Sande said, pointing out that the slashed payment system had been in place since 1998.
Jan Hodneland, chief negotiator for the Norwegian Oil Industry Association (OLF), however, described the unions’ demands as “completely unreasonable.”
“Oil company employees have an average annual income of 1.0 million kroner and a retirement age of 65. This already makes them Norway’s pension winners,” he said, adding that the unions “nevertheless opted to use their power to win even better terms.”
The OLF estimates that the strike, which will involve employees of Norwegian oil group Statoil, British oil giant BP’s Norwegian division, and ESS Support Services, will cost about 150 million Norwegian kroner ($25.1 million) per day.
Norway is the world’s eighth largest oil exporter.
MN/AO/AS/HN
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