The strike is over ... and they know where you live!

The strike is over and we didn't have to wait until we saw the newspapers this morning to find out! How come? Well at 20 minutes to midnight yesterday we both got texts on our phones from BIR, our friendly binmen, to advise us that the strike was over and we should put our bins and any black sacks of extra rubbish out on the usual collection day. I wonder how many sleepy Norwegians had to get up and put their bins out in their pyjamas last night!?

How did they know our mobile numbers you may ask? I've never leaned out the window and tossed them a post-it with my number on - honest! No, they have the number from when we have registered to receive a 'Mini-ID'.

Here in Norway, the State has bought into an on-line identity verification system. Every time you want to check personal data on-line, such as a tax return, you ask for a one time verification code which is texted to your phone. Once you have entered the code on the website, you can access your records. It is supposed to ne 100% fullproof. Having now received a text from the rubbish collecting company, I suddenly realise how many Government departments, local and national, must have 'secure' access to my/our details! Disturbing images of George Orwell's 1984 come to mind!

After 13 days of strike action they basically got a 4.07% raise across the board, although some unions have decided to award the increase according to qualifications, so that generally staff will receive a minimum of 2.7% (no less than NOK12,000 per year) rise, with the rest apportioned accordingly. Complicated!

Apparently the councils have saved NOK975 million as they haven't had to pay salaries, etc. to the strikers! Some will have to be returned to end users who had paid for day-care and other services which were not provided during the strike, but generally the council made a profit!