Legislative changes have been agreed to ensure that employees on ships in Norwegian waters and on the Norwegian continental shelf work under Norwegian pay conditions.
The changes mean that companies with permits for oil, gas, offshore wind, aquaculture or mineral extraction at sea must ensure that workers on ships on assignment to them receive wages that are at least equivalent to Norwegian collective agreements.
“Work at sea must take place under Norwegian employment terms and pay fair wages. It is the contracting client’s duty to verify that this happens. The Government is now proposing rules for how contracting clients in the maritime industries shall ensure that employees on ships actually receive the correct wages”, says Marianne Sivertsen Næss, Minister of Fisheries and Ocean Policy.
The proposal, which is now being submitted for consultation, will mean that the contracting client must:
- Include contractual terms on wages in their contracts with suppliers.
- Verify that suppliers comply with wage requirements.
Go to consultation (in Norwegian only). The consultation deadline is 27 February 2026.