Norway's government said today that it had no plans to order an end to four-day strike by oil workers lopping about 10 per cent off the nations' three million barrels per day (bpd) output.
"The authorities are following the conflict closely, "Labour and Social Affairs Minister Dagfinn Hoybraaten said in a statement. "There is no reason to step in, given the extent of the current strike."
Norwegian governments can step in to order an end to strikes under emergency rules allowing intervention in case the economy is under threat. The strike has so far stopped about 315,000 bpd of Norway's output and is threatening to expand to 455,000 bpd.
It is important for me to stress that it is the partners in the conflict who have responsibility for the strike and its consequences," Mr Hoybraaten added.