The Government again invoked this procedure in 1993 to stop an oil workers' strike. A case against Norway is pending in the ILO Committee on Freedom of Association, awaiting information from the Norwegian Government. This case is based on a strike by a small union, the Maritime Engineers. With membership totaling about 60 percent of the work force, unions play an important role in political and economic life, and are consulted by the Government on important economic and social problems. Although the largest trade union federation is associated with the Labor Party, all unions and labor federations are free of party and government control.
Unions are free to form federations and to affiliate internationally.
They maintain strong ties with such international bodies as the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions. Collectively All workers, including government employees and military personnel, exercise the right to organize and bargain collectively. Collective bargaining is widespread, with most wage earners covered by negotiated settlements, either directly or through understandings which extend the contract terms to workers outside of the main labor federation and the employers' bargaining group. There have been no complaints of antiunion discrimination in recent years. If there were such complaints they would be dealt with by the Labor Court.