*
Strike action among Norwegian private sector workers
*
Construction, breweries, manufacturing among those
affected
*
Conflict set to escalate in the coming days
*
Oil and gas production unaffected
(Adds quote, detail)
OSLO, April 16 (Reuters) - Almost 25,000 private-sector
workers in Norway will go on strike from Monday morning after
negotiations with employers broke down, and the industrial
action is set to escalate in the following days, two major
labour unions said on Sunday.
The strike will affect industries such as construction,
breweries, ferry operators and manufacturers, including Aker
Solutions , Norsk Hydro and Carlsberg Group's Ringnes unit.
Norway's oil and gas production is not affected by the
strike, unions said.
Another 16,000 workers are due to strike from April 21
unless an agreement is reached, and the industrial action could
ultimately involve around 200,000 workers, unions have said.
The Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) is
negotiating on behalf of 185,000 members, while the smaller
Confederation of Vocational Unions (YS) represents a further
16,000 in the talks.
The unions are demanding an increase in real wages this year
after two years of consumer prices rising faster than nominal
wages, citing healthy profits in Norwegian industries.
This means that wages would have to rise by 5% or more as
Norwegian headline inflation is predicted at 4.9% for the full
year, according to a forecast from a commission with members
from unions, employers' federations and Statistics Norway.
The Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise (NHO),
representing employers, had sought restraint, arguing that wages
should not be allowed to rise to an extent that would risk
inflation spinning out of control.
"The NHO chose to reject our demands and thereby trigger a
strike," LO union boss Peggy Hessen Foelsvik said in a
statement.
YS has warned that a strike will affect operations at car
dealers and big hotels in the capital as well as work at some
offshore installations, but would however not affect oil and gas
production or refining.
"The NHO has acted responsibly, but our opponents would not
compromise," NHO Chief Executive Ole Erik Almlid said in a
statement.
(Reporting by Victoria Klesty, editing by Terje Solsvik and
Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
