| National organization(s) | LO-Norway, Unio, YS, Akademikerne |
|---|---|
| Total union membership | 1.9 million (2019)[1] |
| Density | 49.2% (2018)[2] |
| CBA coverage | 72.5% (2014)[3] |
| Global Rights Index | |
1 Sporadic violations of rights | |
| International Labour Organization | |
| Norway is a member of the ILO | |
| Convention ratification | |
| Freedom of Association | 4 July 1949 |
| Right to Organise | 17 February 1955 |
Trade unions in Norway first emerged with the efforts of Marcus Thrane and the formation of the Drammen Labour Union in 1848 which organised agricultural workers and crofters. However, with Thrane's imprisonment and the suppression of the union in 1855, it was not until 1872 before a union was founded again, by print workers. In 1899 the first national federation, the LO, was founded.[4][5] During this period interactions with trade unions in Denmark and Sweden played a great influence over the development of trade unions in Norway.[6]
In Norway today around half of all workers are trade union members and almost three-quarters of all workers are covered by collective agreements. There are four confederations with affiliated members: Confederation of Unions for Professionals, Confederation of Vocational Unions, Federation of Norwegian Professional Associations, Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions.
| Number of
unions |
Share of union
membership |
Total
membership |
Change
2018-19 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Confederation of Unions for Professionals (Unio) | 8 | 19.7% | 375,181 |  2.0%
|
| Confederation of Vocational Unions (YS) | 13 | 11.8% | 225,794 | 1.5%
|
| Federation of Norwegian Professional Associations (Akademikerne) | 11 | 11.6% | 220,005 | 5.2%
|
| Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) | 20 | 50.0% | 952,394 | 1.7%
|
| Unaffiliated | 15 | 6.9% | 130,991 | 7.3%
|
| Totals | 67 | 100% | 1,904,365 | 2.5%
|
| Source: Statistics Norway[7][8] | ||||
