Given the potential for a sharp decline in shipbuilding activity at Norwegian shipyards between 2027 and 2028, the Norwegian trade union Lederne is calling on the government to safeguard jobs and technical expertise within the country’s shipyards and their associated supply chains.
The trade union Lederne has called on the Norwegian government to establish a more flexible mechanism for temporary layoffs and to provide better training opportunities for furloughed workers. The union also urges the government to take steps to safeguard apprenticeship programs and talent recruitment, develop a national-level structural adjustment plan for affected industrial regions, and accelerate investment in projects capable of generating new orders.
The union stated that coastal industrial hubs such as Stord, Haugesund, and Stavanger are growing anxious as their order backlogs shrink. It warned that if shipyards lay off key personnel, reduce the intake of apprentices, or disband specialized shipbuilding teams, this brief downturn in orders could result in long-lasting damage.
A representative from the union stated, “The Norwegian shipbuilding industry is at risk of losing the specialized skills it has built up over decades… The government must take immediate action, rather than waiting until temporary layoffs and job cuts have already become a reality.”