Veff magasin 2-2014

VEFF//14 VEFF – the DNV GL Employee Association Veff magazine 02.2014

… n e d n i v i r

Vi e

We are in the wind...

Salary

Interview

Interview

Moderate pay growth to help secure jobs

Meet Gesa HeinacherLindemann

Meet Kjell Eriksson

I Innhold I

I leder I

Make it or break it 2

Leder

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Coaching – ganske enkelt lønnsomt

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Endringsprosesser Når forandring ikke fryder …

les også: 08 Moderat lønnsvekst skal bidra til sikring av arbeidsplasser i DNV GL i 2015 24 Tanker om husforeningers fortrinn 34 Opprettelsen av VEFF 36 VEFFs studietur til Roma høsten 2013 40 Medlemsfordeler

Redaktør: Nina Ivarsen

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Vi er i vinden, og det blåser frisk medvind i flere av våre markedssegmenter. Vi vil beholde den posisjon og kvalitet våre kunder forventer av oss, men det koster penger og ikke minst vilje fra oss ansatte som hver dag bretter opp ermene og tar i et tak der det trengs mest.

Nina Ivarsen, leder av VEFF

Sammen med eiere og ledelsen skal vi som ansatte bidra til å hente inn nye kunder og flere oppdrag, og vi skal levere den kvaliteten vi alltid har vært kjent for.

Alt dette er krevende i den omstillingsprosessen vi fortsatt er midt inne i. Som hovedtillitsvalgt ser jeg en kvalitet i å være ydmyk for endringene som skjer og de delmål som settes. Det å bli best og størst er et godt og ambisiøst mål, men på bekostning av hva?

Sammenslåingen av DNV og GL tar lengre tid og koster mer penger enn først antatt. Min prioriterte oppgave er å ivareta alle medlemmer og ansatte på best mulig måte gjennom fortsatt trygge arbeidsplasser. Denne tryggheten oppnås gjennom vellykkede prosesser og at DNV GL fremstår som en sterk og samlet enhet.

I contents I

Kundeperspektivet Analyserer vi kundelojaliteten i et sammenslått DNV GL innenfor markedssegmenter som energi, vind, olje og gass, er vi en bra match og kundene er lojale, mens utfordringene er større innenfor shipping.

Ansatte forteller oss at flere av shippingkundene som tidligere var lojale til GL i store deler av Europa finner det unaturlig å fortsette kundeforholdet på samme måte som før i det sammenslåtte DNV GL, selv om det også finnes eksempler på det motsatte.

Ansatte opplever at mye tid har gått med til integrasjonsprosesser Nina Ivarsen, leder av VEFF og at konkurrenter utnytter dette.

Ansatte innrømmer også en form for ”salgsvegring”. I mange år har kundene kommet til oss, mens vi nå i mye større grad må ut for å selge bedriften og produktene våre.

For de aller fleste bedrifter er dette normalhverdagen, og vi må sammen motivere hverandre til å stå opp og selge den kvalitet og integritet DNV og GL hver for seg, og nå sammen, står for. Samtidig må vi bruke litt tid på å lære, øve og tørre å krysse grensene for prestasjonsangst. De aller fleste kunder er velmenende og vil oss det beste så lenge vi leverer det beste produktet i bransjen.

EDITORIAL

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Interview Meet Gesa Heinacher-Lindemann

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Interview Meet Kjell Eriksson

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Read also: 11 Moderate pay growth is intended to help make jobs in DNV GL secure in 2015 21 Coaching – quite simply profitable 25 Thoughts on the benefits of having an in-house trade union 26 A new VEFF member 27 Nikolaos Boussounis in memoriam 31 When change is not tempting …

35 The founding of VEFF 38 VEFF study trip to Rome in the autumn of 2013

© iStock

42 Membership benefits

Editor: Nina Ivarsen

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I leder I

Olje- og energiprisene har falt mye og det er høy usikkerhet i shipping, noe som fører til større usikkerhet blant kundene våre. Vår oppgave er å stå for kvalitet og trygghet og være ­lojale – vi skal lytte og vi skal levere det kundene etterspør.

En ny leder sa det så fint på et møte midt i oktoberregnet: Vi skal selge prosjekter på timer etter avtale, men kan vi selge mertjenester til en lavere timepris, så gjør vi det. En varm million på bok i ekte penger er med på å sikre driften en periode til, slik at vi kan forhandle nye prosjekter til vanlig timepris.

Vi må se realiteten i øynene. Statoil vil kun kjøpe tjenester fra de selskapene som er med på deres spareprosjekter gjennom å bidra til å nå målet om å kutte kostnader. Medlemmer i VEFF og ansatte i DNV GL må alle bidra for å sikre vår posisjon som ledende i verden innenfor våre satsingsområder.

Uten tilfredse kunder, der DNV GL bidrar til at de når sine mål, lykkes heller ikke vi i våre målsettinger.

Helseperspektiv Oppskriften med 2/3 DNV blandet med 1/3 GL og krydret med litt Kema, Noble Denton, Garrad Hassan og annet småkrydder er utfordrende, og konklusjonen så langt i prosessen med å slå sammen DNV og GL er at vi ikke er i mål og at vi trenger mer tid. Samtidig vil vi i fellesskap sørge for å få dette til. Mange ansatte og medlemmer sier til meg at de er slitne, men motiverte – overarbeidet, men entusiastiske. Selv om vi er enige om å få dette til sammen, skal det ikke koste menneskeliv. Bare på Høvik har vi i år registrert tre hjerteinfarkt.

Kanskje det er tilfeldig, men for meg er det tre for mange.

Lønn og tariff VEFF var i år med på et moderat lønnsoppgjør for å sikre andre goder vi ønsket å ivareta, som blant annet pensjon. Det ble et moderat oppgjør i frontfaget, og vi støtter en fortsatt ansvarlig lønnspolitikk som ivaretar vår konkurranseevne og sikrer våre arbeidsplasser. Vi skal bidra slik at bedriften lykkes nasjonalt og internasjonalt, samtidig skal vi som ansatte i DNV GL ha vår del av verdiskapningen og vår del av overskuddet når vi på nytt skal i tarifforhandlinger med ledelsen i 2015. en helseappell til medlemmer og ansatte Kaker og boller er godt, men pass deg for fristelsene i kantinen.

Det er foretatt en uformell telling av hvor mange ansatte som tok en bolle eller kake når de stod i kassen på Høvik, og resultatet viser at seks av ti falt for fristelsen en helt vanlig onsdag.

I et helseperspektiv er det kanskje lurt å ikke nyte denslags hver dag. Etter omleggingen i kantinene er det lettere å unngå det. Vi ønsker friske og spreke ansatte og medlemmer fit for fight.

Oppfordring og appell til ledelsen Vi vil ha ny lab på Høvik, på linje med tilsvarende investeringer i Singapore. Høvik-lab’en trenger oppdatering, og vi ønsker å være stolte av vår egen lab!

Medarbeidere på Høvik-lab’en, fra venstre: Freddy Henriksen, Jan Lasse Moe, Karen Steien, Knut Palme Hansen, Sigbjørn Reinås og Tore Hansen.

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I Editorial I

Make it or break it We are in demand and experiencing success in several of our market segments. We want to retain the position and quality that our customers expect of us, but that costs money and, not least, the willingness of us, the employees, to each day roll up our sleeves and do whatever needs to be done.

Nina Ivarsen, chairperson VEFF

Together with the owners and management, we employees must help win new customers and more assignments and deliver the quality we have always been known for.

All this is demanding in the reorganisation process that we are still in the midst of. As a head union representative, I see the value of being humble about the changes being made and the part-goals that are set. Being best and biggest is a good and ambitious goal, but at the expense of what?

The merger of DNV and GL is taking a longer time and costing more money than first assumed. My first priority is to safeguard all members and employees in the best possible way by ensuring that jobs are still safe. This job safety is achieved through successful processes and by DNV GL appearing as a strong and combined unit.

The customer perspective

© DNV GL

An analysis of customer loyalty in the merged DNV GL shows that we are a good match and have loyal customers in the energy, wind and oil & gas segments, while the shipping segment is facing greater challenges.

Employees tell us that several of the shipping customers that were previously loyal to GL in large parts of Europe find it unnatural to maintain the same customer relationship with the merged DNV GL, although there are also examples of the opposite.

Employees feel that a lot of time has been spent on integration processes and that competitors are taking advantage of

Staff at the Høvik lab, from left: Freddy Henriksen, Jan Lasse Moe, Karen Steien, Knut Palme Hansen, Sigbjørn Reinås and Tore Hansen.

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I Editorial I

this. Employees also admit to a kind of ”resistance to selling”. For many years, customers came to us, while we must now, to a much greater extent, get out there and sell the company and our products.

This is normal everyday life for most companies, and we must motivate each other to get out and sell the quality and integrity that DNV and GL stand for, both individually and now together. At the same time, we must spend some time learning, practising and daring to cross our performance-anxiety boundaries. Most customers are well-meaning and want the best for us as long as we deliver the best product in the industry.

Oil and energy prices have fallen sharply and there is a high level of volatility in shipping, leading to greater uncertainty among our customers. Our task is to stand for quality and safety and to be loyal – we must listen and we must deliver what the customer asks for. A new manager put this very succinctly at a meeting in the middle of October:

pensions. The wage-leaders accepted a moderate settlement, and we support a continued responsible pay policy that safeguards our ability to compete and our jobs. We must help the company succeed both nationally and internationally at the same time as we, as DNV GL employees, must be given our share of the value creation and profits when we negotiate with the management on a new collective agreement in 2015.

Health perspective The recipe of 2/3 DNV mixed with 1/3 GL and seasoned with some Kema, Noble Denton, Garrad Hassan and other spices is a challenging one, and the conclusion so far in the process of merging DNV and GL is that we have not achieved our goals and that we need more time. At the same time, we will together make sure that these goals are achieved. Many employees and members tell me that they are tired but motivated – over-worked but enthusiastic.

Although we agree on achieving our goals together, the process must not cost human life. We have registered three heart attacks at Høvik alone this year. That may be accidental, but it is three too many for me.

Pay and the collective agreement VEFF agreed to a moderate pay settlement this year in order to safeguard other benefits we wanted to maintain, such as

A health appeal to members and other employees Cakes and buns are delicious, but watch out for the temptations in the canteen.

An informal study has been conducted of the number of employees who took a bun or cake when paying for their food at Høvik, and the result shows that six out of ten fell for this temptation on a normal Wednesday. In a health perspective, it may be wise not to each such food every day.

The new layout in the canteens makes this easier to avoid. We want healthy employees and members who are fit for fight!

Request and appeal to the management We want a new lab at Høvik, in line with corresponding investments in Singapore.

The Høvik lab needs upgrading, and we wish to be proud of our lab!

© iStock

We must sell hourly paid projects as agreed, but if we can sell additional services at a lower hourly price, then we must do that. A hot million in cash in the bank helps safeguard our operations for a while longer, so that we can negotiate new projects at the normal hourly rate.

We must face up to reality. Statoil will only buy services from those companies that are involved in its savings projects by helping reach its target of cutting costs.

VEFF members and DNV GL employees must all help safeguard our position as a world leader in our focus areas. Without satisfied customers that DNV GL helps reach their goals, we will not succeed in reaching our goals either.

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At the DNV foundation Council meeting in October, we all got inspired … … by the presentation “Electrification of the Norwegian Offshore Shelf” by Johan Sandberg, service line leader in DNV GL. Environmental protection and all business that can contribute to a safer world is extremely important and reflects our vision. At the same time it creates new opportunities for our employees.

We asked DNV GL Board Member Sille Grjotheim for her comments, as she has a huge passion for this business and environmental issues. She has been a VEFF member since 1993 and a DNV GL Board Member since 2007. ”For some, the merger is complete and in place, for others, we are in the middle of the ’storm’ – and days can be tough when the workload is huge and our cultures

clash. During tough times, we all need to think about how each and one of us can contribute to this merger becoming a success story and that we becomes one great company. The merger provides us with many opportunities, both personally and as a company. ”A good example is our unique position within the wind industry. How can we scale on this, how can we collaborate to make it move on with even broader and more global impact in those parts of the world where there are no or little power today?

There are areas in the world where only 10–20% of the population has access to electricity – how can DNV GL contribute to give them power without going through the “dirty” power, and how can we get paid to do so too?

© VEFF

I Editorial I

”We should reflect and use all the good feedback that we get from our customers, who are happy to see that we are now able to serve them even better. In parallel, we also need to be creative in finding good and cost-efficient solutions to improve where customers are not happy. ”How can we – within our scope of influence, without compromising on our deliverables and organisational set-up – serve these customers in a better way? I think creativity and good relations, and at the same time understanding our different cultures, are key to our success moving forward. ”As a DNV GL Board Member, I wish all of us good luck during the ’storm’ and look forward to see that we are going to succeed together in this merger!”

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I Lønn I

Moderat lønnsvekst

skal bidra til sikring av arbeidsplasser i DNV GL i 2015 Årets lønnsoppgjør bærer preg av moderasjon. I forhold til de siste oppgjørene var årets lønnsoppgjør relativt mye lavere.

Pia Fagernes og Nicolaj Tidemand

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Spesielt stor usikkerhet innen Oil & Gas var en av årsakene til DNV GLs ønske om et moderat oppgjør.

I tillegg var det oppfordret til moderasjon fra NHO og Regjeringen for å sikre at norsk arbeidskraft ikke blir for kostbar, fordi dette vil gjøre våre produkter og tjenester for dyre for internasjonal handel.

Det som blir spennende er om andre bedrifter i vårt marked følger samme tankegang. Resultater fra disse opp­gjørene kommer normalt sent på året, og vil bli nøye vurdert av VEFF før neste års lønns­forhandlinger.

Lønnsoppgjøret skal sikre reallønnsvekst for alle ansatte i DNV GL. Dette fikk VEFF gjennomslag for i årets lønns­ oppgjør med en minimumsjustering på 1,8% for ansatte som oppnådde en MIP-score på 3 eller mer. SSBs prognose for prisstigning var 1,6% for 2014 på forhandlingstidspunktet.

Lokale lønnsforhandlinger er nå avsluttet og lønn er distribuert. Artikkelen viser VEFFs beregninger, tall og statistikker som du kan benytte for å kontrollere om du utvikler deg i takt med dine kollegaer og iht. dine forventninger.

Hvilke forhold beskriver DNV GLs økonomiske situasjon i dag?

I første halvår 2014 hadde DNV GL globalt en vekst på 11% (organisk vekst 4%). DNV GL i Norge har dermed en meget god økonomi. Omsetningen fra 1. januar til 30. juni var på 10 625 millioner NOK. Etter første halvår i 2014 er vi 16 062 ansatte globalt.

EBITA (dvs inntjening før renter og skatt) fra samme periode er på 863 millioner NOK. Hvis du er interessert i å lese hele rapporten kan denne googles på nettet: ”DNV GL Financial report half year June 2014”.

Hva er DNV GLs og VEFFs lønnspolitiske ståsted?

Hvis ikke alle medarbeidere kan motta et likt lønnstillegg må DNV GL kunne begrunne eventuelle forskjeller. Det er DNV GL som fordeler lønnsvolumet, men VEFF argumenterer hardt for at dette må oppleves rettferdig og at alle må være lojale til fellesskapet. VEFF ivaretar alle medlemmer og anser at alle er en del av vårt kunnskapssamfunn og den produksjonen vi lever av. Vi har forskjellige kategorier ansatte (A, B og C) med et differensiert grunnlag, men fordelingen bør være rimelig i forhold til de du kan sammenligne deg med.

Lønnsutvikling i DNV GL skal være basert på følgende fire kriterier (NHO/YS): Økonomi, produktivitet, fremtidsutsikter og konkurranseevne.

Energy Energy is operating in a challenging market and performed below expectations with external revenue of NOK 1,498 million, a negative of 12% compared to last year.

Under følger noen korte utdrag fra denne rapporten: Maritime Maritime delivered strong financial results for the first halfyear period. Year-to-date external revenue of NOK 4,352 ­million represents an organic, currency-adjusted growth rate of 8%.

Oil & Gas Oil & Gas improved the business performance during the period, and ended the half year with external revenue of NOK 3,119 million, a revenue growth of 8%.

Business Assurance Business Assurance revenue volume shows solid development compared to last year growing with 7% for the period.

Software In DNV GL we have organised our software services as an independent business unit, and external revenue for the period ended at NOK 377 million, revenue growth of 18%.

I Lønn I

Kategori

Antall ansatte

Justering (%)

A1

691

4,19

A2

553

3,08

A3

530

2,37

B1

85

2,99

B2

149

2,75

B3

243

2,47

C1

9

2,62

C2

49

2,58

C3

206

2,39

2515

3,01

TOTAL

Etterprøvningsrapport for lønnsoppgjøret 2014 VEFF har mottatt flere henvendelser fra ulike medlemsgrupper med spørsmål om lønnsoppgjørets betydning for den enkelte.

I prinsippet er det DNV GL som tildeler lønn til den enkelte.

Vi har individuell avlønning i DNV GL, men følger i prinsippet en fordelingsnøkkel. Denne bygger på en norm som har vært benyttet de siste årene, se tabellen. Disse prinsippene for til­ deling er også vanlig i samfunnet rundt oss. I tillegg er det vanlig å fremforhandle et markedstillegg for eventuelle grupper av ansatte som arbeidsgiveren har behov for å styrke lønningene til for å kunne være konkurransedyktige.

DNV GL er en kunnskapsbedrift med hovedfokus på ingeniøroppdrag innen olje, maritim og energi. Dersom du er i de ti første årene av din karriere og har en master eller tilsvarende (tilsvarer kategori A1), får du den største delen av ”lønn­s­ kaka”. Jo eldre du er, dess mindre lønnsvekst i prosent vil du få, men lønnsoppgjøret målt i kroner kan allikevel være høyere enn for f.eks. A1.

Det er flere grupper som føler de er dårlig avlønnet, og ved siden av unge sivilingeniører er det to grupper i VEFFs medlemsmasse som opplever at de er dårlig avlønnet. Dette er teknikere og costcontrollere/admin. personell. VEFF har tatt dette opp i mange forskjellige forum og jobber utrettelig for at disse gruppene skal lønnes iht. funksjon og ikke lønns­ innplassering. Årets ramme er på 3,1% til fordeling. I tillegg til rammen er det tildelt 0,4% pr. 1.1.2014 til opprykk og utnevnelser.

Prosent­satsen pr kategori er gjennomsnittlig og kun vei­ ledende. I tabellen kan du se hvordan rammen ble fordelt ­mellom ulike kategorier.

Merk at fagforeningene kun fremforhandler en prosent­ ramme for det totale oppgjøret, eventuelt med enighet

© iStock

Tabellen viser det samlede lønnsoppgjøret for VEFF, Tekna og NITO, fordelt pr kategori ansatt, slik det er blitt tildelt. Dette er ca. 0,1% høyere enn forhandlet frem i juni.

om en generell justeringer av større grupper ansatte. Det er DNV GL som fordeler lønnsvolumet (de forhandlede prosentene) ut i organisasjonen.

Et utfordrende marked DNV GLs konkurranseevne i et utfordrende marked er v­ iktig.

VEFF vil bidra til å sikre både markedsandeler og arbeids­ plasser.

Pris på tjenester og produkter baserer seg i vesentlig grad på lønnskostnader i en kunnskapsbedrift som DNV GL. Men lønnskostnader er ikke ene og alene ansvarlig for den høye kostnaden det er å produsere og levere DNV GLs portefølje.

Forvaltning av midler, valuta, renter, salg og markedstilpasninger er kostnader som ikke er relatert til lønn.

Det er ledelsens ansvar å sørge for at DNV GL er konkurransedyktig på disse områdene, og det er ikke en kostnad de ansatte skal finansiere ved lav lønnsvekst. Et viktig moment her er å ha en effektiv administrasjon og ledelse. VEFF har påpekt ved flere anledninger at det bør ses på hvordan faktureringsgraden i DNV GL kan styrkes. Antall ansatte med leder­ansvar på ulike nivåer bør ses på, slik at mengden administrasjon om mulig kan reduseres til fordel for fakturerbart arbeid.

Kompetansekartlegging og ressursplanlegging blir særdeles viktig de neste årene. Det å ansette riktig kompetanse i forhold til markedssvingninger er en profesjon i seg selv. VEFF opp­ fordrer de ansatte til å være fleksible og tilby sine ressurser der det trengs mest i DNV GL-systemet.

Når er fremtiden, Q4 2014 eller Q3 2015?

VEFF ønsker å vise ansvar og deltar bl.a. i risikodiskusjonene for å sikre vår felles visjon om en bærekraftig fremtid. Årets moderate lønnsoppgjør er et eksempel på dette. VEFF mener

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I Lønn I

Figuren viser gjennomsnittslønn pr eksamensår vist for kategori A, B og C. Den store variasjonen for kategori C skyldes litt få ansatte i utvalget.

Figuren er basert på ny lønn for VEFF-, Tekna- og NITO-medlemmer.

Figuren viser gjennomsnittslønn pr lønnsgruppe. I denne er også øvre og nedre kvartil vist (stiplede linjer), samt p10- og p90-verdiene (prikkete linjer) pr lønnsgruppe. Figuren er basert på ny lønn for VEFF-, Tekna- og NITO-medlemmer.

det er riktig og viktig å beholde ressurser DNV GL trenger for å kunne levere forventet kvalitet på våre produkter og tjene­ster, til en konkurransedyktig pris. Det er derfor viktig å nøye analysere årets lønnsoppgjør hos våre konkurrenter, for å sikre at DNV GL ikke sakker akterut lønnsmessig i forhold til disse.

Lønnsoppgjøret skal ikke brukes til ”kunstig sikring” av ressurser, men til reell sikring av de riktige ressursene. I dette ligger det at dersom DNV GL har forretningsområder der vi på lengre sikt ikke synes å kunne være konkurransedyktige, så bør ikke slike områder holdes ”kunstig i live” ved lave oppgjør.

Da bør det heller vurderes å trekke seg ut av markedet. Men i forretningsområder der det forventes at aktiviteten igjen vil

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styrkes, kan selvfølgelig lønnsoppgjør for aktuelle grupper vurderes å være noe lavere for å sikre arbeidsplasser. Men i slike tilfeller må DNV GL kompensere lønningene igjen når markedet har tatt seg opp, slik at den utsatte gruppen igjen kommer på et riktig nivå.

Så mange som mulig må ut i produksjon i året som kommer enten vi jobber i Oil & Gas, Maritime, Business Assurance, Energy eller Software. Ansatte i GSS (Global Shared Service Centre) utøver support og er en viktig verktøykasse til produksjon. Sammen skal vi sørge for at DNV GL holder sine markedsposisjoner – slik vi har lovet våre kunder, våre eiere og ikke minst våre ansatte.

I Salary I

Moderate pay growth is intended to help make jobs in DNV GL secure in 2015 This year’s pay settlement is characterised by moderation. Compared to the previous settlements it was relatively much lower.

Especially, great insecurity within Oil & Gas was one of the reasons why DNV GL wanted a moderate settlement. In addition, Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise (NHO) and the government urged moderation to keep Norwegian labour from being too expensive, as this would make our products and services non-competitive internationally. It will be exciting to see if other companies in our market also think in this way. Results from these settlements normally occur late in the year, and will be closely evaluated by VEFF in advance of next year’s pay negotiations.

The pay settlement is intended to ensure real pay growth for all employees of DNV GL. VEFF managed to do this in this year’s pay settlement, with a minimum increase of 1.8% for employees who achieved an MIP score of 3 or more. Statistics Norway (SSB)’s inflation forecast was 1.6% for 2014 at the time of negotiation. Local pay negotiations have now been concluded and the pay has been distributed. This article shows VEFF’s calculations, figures and statistics, which you can use to check whether your pay is developing in line with that of your colleagues and with your expectations.

reasonable compared to the increases allocated to those with whom you can compare yourself.

Pay developments in DNV GL are to be based on the following four known criteria (Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise (NHO)/Confederation of Vocational Unions (YS)): • Economy • Productivity • Outlook • Competitive ability

What is DNV GL’s and VEFF’s position on pay policy?

Below are some brief extracts from this report:

If not all employees can receive the same pay increase, DNV GL must be able to justify any differences. It is DNV GL that distributes the pay volume, but VEFF argues strongly that this must be experienced as fair and that everyone must be loyal to the common cause. VEFF takes care of the interests of all members and believes we are all part of our knowledge-based society and the services we provide and make our living from. We have different categories of employees (A, B og C) and a differentiated basis, but your pay increase should be

Which factors describe DNV GL’s current economic situation?

During the first half of 2014, DNV GL experienced global growth of 11% (organic growth 4%). DNV GL in Norway thus has a very sound economy. The revenue from 1 January to 30 June was NOK 10,625 million.

At the end of the first half of 2014, DNV GL has 16,062 employees worldwide.

Its EBITA (earnings before interest and taxes) for the same period is NOK 863 million. If you are interested in reading the entire report, this can be googled online: ”DNV GL Financial report half year June 2014”.

Maritime Maritime delivered strong financial results for the first half-year period. Year-to-date external revenue of NOK 4,352 million represents an organic, currency-adjusted growth rate of 8%.

Oil & Gas Oil & Gas improved the business performance during the period, and ended the half year with external revenue of NOK 3,119 million, a revenue growth of 8%.

Energy Energy is operating in a challenging market and performed below expectations with external revenue of NOK 1,498 million, a negative of 12% compared to last year.

Business Assurance Business Assurance revenue volume shows solid development compared to last year, growing with 7% for the period.

Software In DNV GL we have organised our software services as an independent business unit, and external revenue for the period ended at NOK 377 million, revenue growth of 18%.

Verification report for the pay settlement 2014 VEFF has received several inquiries from various groups of members asking what the pay settlement means for the individual.

In principle it is DNV GL that allocates pay to the individual. DNV GL practises individual remuneration but fundamentally complies with a distribution formula. This is based on a norm used during the past few years – see the table on the next page. These principles for allocation are also common in society. In addition, it is customary to negotiate a market additive for eventual groups of employees whose employer needs to strengthen the salaries to be competitive.

DNV GL is a knowledge company whose main focus is on engineering assignments relating to oil, shipping and energy. If you are in the first ten years of your career and have a master’s degree or the equivalent (comparable to category A1), you will receive the largest share of the ”pay cake”.

The older you are, the less salary growth in per cent you will get, but the pay settlement measured in NOK may still be higher than for e.g. A1.

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I Salary I

Category

No. of employees

Adjustment (%)

A1

691

4.19

A2

553

3.08

A3

530

2.37

B1

85

2.99

B2

149

2.75

B3

243

2.47

C1

9

2.62

C2

49

2.58

C3

206

2.39

2,515

3.01

TOTAL

Several groups feel that they are underpaid, and next to young civil engineers there are two groups of VEFF members who feel they are badly paid.

These are technicians and cost controllers/ administrative personnel. VEFF has raised this issue in many different forums and works tirelessly to ensure that these groups are paid according to their function and not their location on the pay scale.

This year’s distribution framework is 3.1%. In addition to the framework, 0.4% was distributed for promotions and appointments as at 1 January 2014. The percentage rate per category is an average one and only a guide. The table shows how the framework was allocated to the different categories.

Note that the trade unions only negotiate a percentage framework, for the total settlement, or with agreement on a general adjustment for larger groups of employees.

It is DNV GL who distributes the salary volume (the negotiated percents) into the organisation.

A challenging market It is important that DNV GL is able to compete in a challenging market. VEFF wants to help safeguard both market shares and jobs.

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The prices of the services and products of a knowledge company like DNV GL are mainly based on pay costs. But pay costs are not the sole cause of the high costs of producing and delivering DNV GL’s portfolio. The costs of managing assets, currencies, interest rates, sales and market adaptations are not related to pay.

It is the management’s responsibility to ensure that DNV GL is competitive in these areas, and these are not costs that the employees are supposed to finance through low pay growth. An important aspect here is to have an effective administration and management.

VEFF has on several occasions pointed out the necessity of strengthening the invoicing degree in DNV GL. The number of employees having manager responsibilities at different levels should be evaluated, so that the amount of administration if possible can be reduced in favour of work that can be invoiced.

Competence mapping and resource planning will be extremely important over the next few years. Hiring the right expertise in relation to market fluctuations is a profession in itself. VEFF urges employees to be flexible and to offer their skills where these are most needed in the DNV GL system.

© iStock

The table shows the total pay settlement for VEFF, Tekna and NITO, distributed per employee category, as it has been allocated. This is some 0.1% higher than negotiated in June.

How far ahead is the future – Q4 2014 or Q3 2015?

VEFF wants to show responsibility and takes part in risk discussions, for example, to safeguard our common vision of a sustainable future. This year’s moderate pay settlement is an example. It is not certain that DNV GL will succeed with the strategic plan which forms the basis for substantial growth.

VEFF does not want to keep pay growth unnaturally low. VEFF believes it is correct and important to retain the staff that DNV GL needs to deliver the expected quality of our products and services at a competitive price. Thus it is important to closely analyse this year’s pay settlements of our competitors, to ensure that DNV GL’s salary level keeps up with them.

The pay settlement must not be used to ”artificially safeguard” resources but instead to really safeguard the right resources. Implicitly, if DNV GL has business areas where we do not seem to be competitive in the long term, such areas should not be ”kept alive” artificially through moderate settlements. Instead, it should be considered pulling out of the market.

For business areas where strengthened activity is expected, of course pay

I Salary I

1,000,000

900,000

800,000

700,000

600,000

500,000

400,000

07 06 20 05 20 04 20 03 20 02 20 01 20 00 19 99 19 98 19 97 19 96 19 95 19 94 19 93 19 92 19 91 19 90 19 89 19 88 19 87 19 86 19 85 19 84 19 83 19 82 19 81 19 80 19 79 19 78 19 77 19 76 19 75 19 74 19 73 19 72 20

08

20

09

20

10

20

11

20

12

20

20

20

13

300,000

Average A

Average B

Average C

The diagram shows average salary per graduation year shown for categories A, B and C. The great variation for category C is due to few employees in the selection. The diagram is based on new salary for members of VEFF, Tekna and NITO.

1,200,000

1,100,000

1,000,000

900,000

800,000

700,000

600,000

500,000

400,000

5

6 Average

7

8 Lower quartile

9

10

Upper quartile

11 p10

12

13

p90

The diagram shows average salary per salary group. Here are also upper and lower quartile shown (dashed lines), as well as the p10 and p9 values (dotted lines) per salary group. The diagram is based on new salary for members of VEFF, Tekna and NITO.

settlements for relevant groups may be considered somewhat lower to secure jobs. But in such cases, DNV GL must compensate salaries again when the market has picked up, so the exposed group will return to the right level.

As many people as possible must become involved in producing services in the year to come, whether we work in Oil & Gas, Maritime, Business Assurance, Energy or Software. Employees of GSS (Global Shared Service Centre) provide

support and are an important toolbox for producing our services. Together, we will ensure that DNV GL retains its market positions – as we have promised our customers, owners and, not least, our employees.

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I Interview I

Meet Gesa Heinacher-Lindemann SVP/Head of Group Compliance Could you tell us a bit about your background?

I am a lawyer and have been studying at different universities. As part of my mandatory clerkship I worked as a judge, prosecutor and for different law firms as well as for a period for the office of the city attorney in San Diego. After my legal education and clerkship I joined a traineeship at the EU commission working with settlement of disputes between member states and the EEC. I have also taken a Master of law programme at the University of Miami with main focus on international law.

I started at GL 25 years ago as a European liaison officer with a direct reporting line to the executive board member responsible for Maritime.

For a long period I was the Secretary of the European Association of the Classification Societies (EURACS), which was at that time independent from the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS). In that role I did lobby work towards European bodies concerning maritime legislation under chairmanship of GL, RINA and Bureau Veritas. In that period I got to know quite a few DNV people.

Afterwards I turned to lead for four years a major internal change management project. This project consisted of several work packages related to major structural changes of the company due to the disappearance of the monopoly in Germany based on the EU legislation related to fair competition. We had external consultants and I was heading the internal core team to implement these packages. A part of the process was also to turn GL acting as a state owned company into a commercial company. In this process I learned a lot from the external consultants. This was very important learning. After that period I ended up as a team member of the extended management board, where I was the only woman for many years. This was

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challenging from time to time, but I learned a lot.

After that I established GL’s legal department, and later on the compliance organisation and also a new setup for the EU lobby work.

I like to work closely to the operational business. I also give lectures on the role of the classification societies and I recently wrote an article on the role of classification societies. In 1999 and 2000 I was part of the negotiation team related to the merger between DNV and GL. As a result of that I know DNV very well and they also know me well. In the latest merger discussion I had a huge challenge in that process as general counsel not being allowed to talk to my people as it was strictly confidential that these negotiations were ongoing.

Could you share a few words about your role within DNV GL? Establishing a compliance program based on the one being in place in legacy DNV and GL legacy and in line with the upcoming ISO 19600 standard (guideline on Compliance management systems).

This ISO standard is much more complex, the structure requires several criteria to be fulfilled to be seen as acknowledged.

Initiatives taken by compliance should be related to risks identified. Communication is also key in this function as global Compliance Officer, and that will be one of my main focus areas. So every employee knows who to contact and what to do in situations that can be challenging. I started this year with an Intranet page (shortcuts compliance). I align all initiatives and collaborate with many different units (CS, HR, internal communication etc.).

I am also a member of the CS Board.

As DNV GL, we are so advanced on corporate sustainability; we should promote and communicate that much more to all employees.

My focus on compliance is to support the development of a common integrity

approach, prevent corruption, and work against fraud. Initiatives also relate to data protection and sanctions. My role is to set up a global framework to enable us to be in compliance and prevent infringements based on a common ethical approach. In that global framework we need to define roles and responsibilities, and we need to implement and communicate this. Another thing I work on is the establishment of a global compliance network. At this point this is mainly the country chairs. We need to give them the knowledge so they are able to communicate within their areas of responsibility.

How do you see the differences in working culture between Norway and Germany?

There are several cultural differences, but there are also many similarities. In our global organisation I think it is very important to remember that there are differences between all countries we operate in, whether it is China, Norway, UK, US or Germany. With regards to DNV and GL the companies have a long similar history. We are both acknowledged class societies who have delivered high quality for 150 years. That is why we have tried for so many years to merge. From that point of view, I do not think the cultural difference is a major issue.

However, we need to acknowledge that we all have a different cultural background.

According to Erin Meyer (professor at Insead) our culture has frequently an impact on our perceptions, what we see, what we think and what we do. This needs to be brought in in relation to several aspects which are important for managing a cross cultural company such as communication and leadership.

How do you see the transition from DNV and GL to DNV GL? I think the transition from DNV and GL is on its way. When we compare with other

Š DNV GL

I Interview I

mergers we are following the normal curve in our merger. To understand this helps a lot. You have to decide which leading processes you should take. We cannot take all battles at the same time.

What aspect of your work are you most excited about?

I am most excited about the opportunity to use the compliance programme to contribute to creating a common integrity culture and to address the different aspects of our different cultures into that perspective. I like to address and take into consideration that a person from another country has a different culture, values and ways to behave, but all this needs to be at a level that we are comfortable with. The

cultural aspects are very important to me, and alignment with local needs gets me excited, and I also appreciate a lot all the discussions I have with the employees.

What do you like to do when you have some time off?

I live in the countryside and I love to spend time in my garden. Just a simple thing as to observe the neighbour’s cats or to plant or take care of my plants is something I like a lot. I also appreciate a lot to take a run in the woods. Apart from that I like to spend time with my husband, see my friends and go to the opera, theatre or cinema. As I travel a lot during the weekdays, I treasure a lot to be able to just do what I want in my spare time.

Some final words to the employees?

I would like to say that we have to make DNV GL a success. It was the right step to merge and combine our strengths. We have so much we can offer to our clients and we are better than our competitors.

With our sustainability program we are taking the responsibility to do much more than others.

We were one of the first to sign the UN global compact. That shows that we had an early vision with regards to a more global approach to support the world to getting a better place! That is to me an important common platform we all should be proud of in DNV GL.

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I Interview I

Meet Kjell Eriksson

Regional Manager DNV GL – Oil & Gas Norway A steep learning curve: I was asked to take over from Marianne Hauso as Regional Manager for DNV GL – Oil & Gas in Norway on relatively short notice.

Marianne had to take another position involving much less travel due to illness in her family. Marianne has been very open about her situation and I have a lot of respect for the way in which she has handled this. I also think that the way in which DNV GL has handled the situation deserves respect.

One of our values is that we care about our customers and each other. I really think we have demonstrated that in the case of Marianne’s situation. As the new Regional Manager, I landed in the middle of a restructuring and reorganisation process. Changes are always demanding, but we live in a world that is changing very fast and we simply have to adjust in order to continue to be relevant and competitive. The meetings with VEFF, Tekna and NITO were constructive throughout the change processes, and I look forward to a continued good dialogue with these trade unions.

© VEFF

Who am I? I was born and raised in Sweden and joined DNV in 1985, fresh from university. I have had the opportunity to work in many interesting positions around the globe. I am fortunate to be married to Kristin, who decided to look on Stavanger as an interesting opportunity despite being asked to move there at very short notice. Our children grew up in the Middle East when I worked for DNV in Abu Dhabi. After a couple of years in Norway, we moved to Kuala Lumpur, where I took up the position as Regional Manager for DNV’s oil and gas business.

In other words, we have moved a couple of times. Our children have now left home and Kristin and I look forward to exploring the west coast of Norway. We both enjoy golf and, since there are good golf courses in Stavanger and an active golf community in DNV GL in Stavanger, I am sure we will improve our skills. I also enjoy both preparing and eating tasty

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food and our closeness to the sea and the Jæren farmland should guarantee a good supply of ingredients.

As a leader, I like to give clear messages, take decisions and move on. I could be better at running processes. However, during the highly challenging times facing the oil and gas sector in Norway, we have to accept that there will be less time for processes and more focus on action. Our customers are pushing for more value and less cost, our competitors are sharpening their knives and we simply have to be quicker and smarter to stay relevant.

Initial thoughts I have a lot of respect for the organisation I am leading. We have some of the best brains in a number of areas. About 65% of all offshore pipelines are designed to our Standard. Which other Norwegian organisation has a global market share of 65%? I cannot think of any. And I could go on and on like this, listing individual areas where we are unique. I think, however, that what makes us even more unique is the breadth of our skills and services. However, to turn this breadth into valuable business we need to find smart ways of combining our skills and services. I urge everyone to be more curious about their colleagues. The more combined services our customers ask for, the more difficult it will be for our competitors to create the same value as us.

From harvesting to actively hunting for more work We have a dramatic market situation in Norway. Several of the oil companies have announced cost-cutting initiatives.

A number of major projects are postponed. And our order book is shrinking. Hence my and your first priority is sales.

We will implement a more dynamic pricing strategy. We will run training courses dealing with consulting skills and sales skills. We will follow up Business Development Leaders and Key Account Managers much more closely. But perhaps most importantly, each and every one of us has to sell. We need to go from a situation where we have been harvesting and man­ aging requests from our customers to pro-actively hunting for assignments. I am sure we will succeed.

As stated at the all-staff meetings, I sincerely believe that the future will be both challenging and fun and look forward to working with all my new colleagues to ensure a safer, smarter and greener future.

Š VEFF

I Interview I

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I Coaching I

Coaching – ganske enkelt lønnsomt Coaching er et myteomspunnet begrep som har gjort sitt inntog på næringslivsarenaen de senere år. Noen omfavner dette, og har gått så langt at de har byttet ut administrerende direktør-tittelen med coach mens andre er mye mer tilbakeholdne og skeptiske.

Lin Beate Karsten og Camilla Wiik

Vil coaching i det hele tatt gi noen vedvarende positiv effekt på organisasjonen? Og er det mulig å forbedre organisasjonen eller deler av den i en slik grad at det gir seg utslag på bunnlinjen?

Ny varig bedriftskultur Man skaper en kultur som er bygd for å skape nye kultur­ endringer, og man får medarbeidere som ønsker å gjøre hverandre bedre fordi de ser at det gir resultater. I så måte skaper man en kultur som lærer fortere enn konkurrentene. Det blir kultur for å si fra, med den hensikt å jobbe bedre sammen.

En kultur hvor man gir hverandre ros og ris som kommer fra hjertet, med et ønske om at man sammen skal skape noe som er bedre enn det man har i dag. Dette er satt litt på spissen, men det er det dette handler om.

Alt kan kopieres i dag – teknologi, produkter, systemer. Det eneste som ikke kan kopieres er bedriftskulturen. Det er den som gjør bedrifter unike, og det er den som gjør at man vinner i konkurransen mot sine konkurrenter.

Coachende lederstil Ledere som lykkes, har gjerne et bredt handlingsrepertoar og en stor ”verktøykasse”. Lederne leser situasjonen og bruker en situasjonsbestemt lederstil. De er mer løsnings- og fremtids­ orientert, enn problem- og fortidsorientert.

En coachende lederstil er forskjellig fra den dominerende og tradisjonelle ordre- og kontrolledelse:

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• Lederen viser tillit og medarbeidere ledes til å lede seg selv.

Medarbeidere må bli mest mulig selvgående. Medarbeiderne bruker selvobservasjon til å vurdere egen atferd og finne nye løsninger.

• En coachende lederstil bygger på bruk av klare resultat- og atferdskriterier. Atferd som skal forbedres må konkretiseres.

Kriterier for å måle fremgang må presiseres. Det må også klargjøres hvem som skal måle fremgangen og når den skal måles.

• Medarbeiderne utfordres og støttes til å identifisere, utvikle og bruke sine talenter, for å oppnå både personlige resul­ tater og organisasjonsmessige resultater.

• En coachende lederstil innebærer ikke bare teknikker som ros og ris, delegering, konfliktbehandling og personlig ­effektivitet. Lederen skal først og fremst hjelpe andre for å lykkes selv.

Hvordan ta i bruk coaching?

Hvordan kan en leder ta i bruk en coachende væremåte for å øke motivasjonen og engasjementet til en medarbeider? Forsk­ ning viser at ledere som tar i bruk en coachende ­være­måte, øker motivasjonen og engasjementet hos sine med­arbeidere.

Man kan benytte flere teknikker, og lederen bør ha gjennomført en situasjonsbestemt kartlegging av sine med­arbeidere før han/hun inntar en coachende rolle.

I korte trekk handler det om motivasjon som glede, mening, ønsker, mestring og lidenskaper. Samtidig skal man være klar over at det også finnes hindringer som d ­ emotiverer.

Dette kan være begrensninger, forventninger, redsel for å gi noen ­eksempler. Det er viktig at den som skal ta i bruk en ­coach­ende lederstil er klar over positiv angst og vanskelige følelser for å se årsaker og muligheter i gitte ­situasjoner.

Metoder som bygger på en løsningsfokusert tilnærming og en kognitiv atferdsteori kan motivere og skape engasjement.

Et vesentlig grunnprinsipp for å være coachende og for å lykkes, er verdigrunnlag som bygger på empati.

Š iStock

I Coaching I

19

I Coaching I

”En coach er en person som bidrar til å frakte et eller flere mennesker til et ønsket sted.”

Morten Emil Berg, Handelshøyskolen BI

”Coaching krever mer av oss enn at vi lærer oss noen nye ledelsesteknikker. Det krever at vi forandrer måten vi tenker på. Det krever at vi oppdager hva vi tenker – om vår rolle og resultatet vi prøver å oppnå med mennesker – og transformerer både det vi tenker, og vår atferd.”

”Du er dine valg. Et av valgene vi har gjort er å lytte, lære, dele og – ikke minst – gi plass til andre. Hos oss er ydmykhet en styrke som preger oss alle og våre møter med både kolleger og samarbeidspartnere – og hjelper oss til å skape verdier og ta enda bedre valg for fremtiden. Vi er våre valg. Å lede seg selv og andre krever kompetanse og klokskap, og disse kvalitetene kommer verken med julenissen eller i posten.”

Erica Grunnevoll, Coachteam

Thomas G. Crane, Crane Consulting

Lederen må klare å sette seg i den ansattes sted og møte mennesket der det er i dag. Emosjoner må være ekte, og nysgjerrighet og utforskning som finner sted i fellesskap skal hjelpe den ansatte til å se seg selv og de løsninger som er best for ham/henne. Studier viser at empati skaper respekt og har en positiv effekt på medarbeidere. Å være empatisk tilstede kan motivere til sterkere selvledelse. Slik oppnår man motivasjon og engasjement.

For å sette gode og tydelige mål må man kunne lytte og forstå hverandres motivasjonsgrunnlag. Tillit og respekt for hverandre må være tilstede for at lederen kan motivere medarbeiderne til å være innovative og produktive.

Vi har tidligere sagt at empati er viktig for å motivere og engasjere. Ydmykhet for ressursbegrepet er samtidig viktig, og med dette mener vi at medarbeiderne må inneha riktige ressurser for å kunne bli beslutningsdyktige og levere på de mål som er avtalt. Ydmykhet er et annet begrep som er sterkt beslektet med empati.

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I relasjonsbegrepet ligger det positive og åpne holdninger overfor andres kompetanse og meninger. Ved å bevisstgjøre seg egenskaper som ligger i empati og ydmykhet vil ledere bli bedre coacher. Kloke beslutninger, riktige handlinger og gode valg krever flere egenskaper enn beslutningsdyktighet. Det handler om å se talentet i hver enkelt medarbeider og coache slik at medarbeideren opplever seg trygg på eget talent og sine ressurser. Ved å være ydmyk og empatisk unngår man å være belærende og selvgod, og man unngår en ovenfra-og-nedholdning som er svært demotiverende.

En coachende leders utfordring blir da å administrere medarbeidere som er i ”flyt” slik at oppgavene blir utført av motiverte og engasjerte medarbeidere!

Som tillitsvalgte har Lin og Camilla deltatt på høyskolestudie i coaching, som er en del av årsstudiet i HR. Dette er et tilbud som gis gjennom VEFF/Parat. Studiet er spennende og gir masse inspirasjon og motivasjon!

I Coaching I

Coaching – quite simply profitable

© iStock

Coaching is a mythical concept that has become part of the business arena in recent years. Some people love it and have gone so far as to replace the CEO title with that of coach, while others are much more reserved and sceptical.

Will coaching have any lasting positive effect on the organisation? And is it possible to improve the organisation or parts of it to such an extent that it affects the bottom line?

New permanent corporate culture Coaching builds a culture for creating new cultural changes and results in employees wanting to make each other better because they see that this produces results. In that way, coaching creates a culture that learns more quickly than that of our competitors.

It gives rise to a culture in which employees say what they mean with the objective of working better together. A culture in which employees give each other both praise and criticism that comes from the heart,

with a desire to create something better together. This may be a slight exaggeration, but that is what coaching is all about.

Everything can be copied today – technology, products and systems. The only thing that cannot be copied is the corporate culture. That is what makes a company unique and allows it to win over its competitors.

A coaching management style Successful managers often have a wide repertoire of actions and a large ”toolbox”.

They read the situation and adopt a management style that suits it. They are more solution- and future-oriented than problem- and past-oriented.

A coaching management style is

different to the dominant and traditional management involving orders and control: • The manager shows the employees trust and they learn to manage themselves.

Employees must become as self-driven as possible. They use self-observation to assess their own conduct and find new solutions.

• A coaching management style is based on the use of clear result and conduct criteria. Conduct that is to be improved must be specified. The criteria for measuring progress must be specified.

It must also be made clear who is to measure the progress and when it is to be measured.

• The employees are challenged and helped to identify, develop and use their

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I Coaching I

”A coach is a person who helps bring one or more people to a desired place.”

Morten Emil Berg, Handelshøyskolen BI

”Coaching requires more of us than just learning some new management techniques.

It requires us to change the way we think. It requires us to discover what we think – about our role and the results we are trying to achieve with people – and transform both what we think and our conduct.”

”You are your choices. One of the choices we have made is to listen, learn, share and, not least, make room for others.

In our company, humility is a strength that characterises all of us and our meetings with both colleagues and business partners – and helps us create value and make even better choices for the future. We are our choices. Managing ourselves and others requires competence and wisdom, and these qualities are not brought to us by Santa Claus or the postman.”

Erica Grunnevoll, Coachteam

Thomas G. Crane, Crane Consulting

talents in order to achieve both personal and organisational results.

• A coaching management style does not only involve techniques such as praise and criticism, delegation, conflict resolution and personal efficiency. The manager must primarily help others in order to succeed him/herself.

How to use coaching?

How can a manager start to use coaching behaviour to improve an employee’s motivation and involvement?

Research shows that managers who start to use coaching behaviour increase the motivation and involvement of their staff. Several techniques can be used, and the manager should have carried out a

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situation-determined mapping of his/her staff before taking on a coaching role.

To put it briefly, this is about motivation such as joy, meaning, desires, mastery and passions. At the same time, one must be aware that there are also obstacles which demotivate. These may be restrictions, expectations or fears, to state only a few examples.

It is important that the person who is going to adopt a coaching management style is aware of positive anxiety and difficult feelings in order to see causes and opportunities in given situations. Methods based on a solution-focused approach and cognitive behaviour theory can motivate and create involvement.

An important basic principle for being a coach and succeeding is having a value base built on empathy.

The manager must put him/herself in the employee’s place and deal with the person where he/she is today. Emotions must be genuine, and the shared curiosity and exploration must help employee see themselves and the solutions that are best for them. Studies show that empathy creates respect and has a positive effect on staff. Being empathetically present can motivate employees to have stronger self-management. In this way we achieve motivation and involvement.

In order to set good, clear goals, we must be able to listen and understand the

© iStock

I Coaching I

basis for each other’s motivation. Trust in and respect for each other must be present so that the manager can motivate employees to be innovative and productive.

We have previously said that empathy is important for motivating and involving employees. It is also important to be humble about the concept of resources, and by that we mean that the employee must have the right resources in order to be able to make decisions and deliver the agreed goals. Humility is another concept that is strongly related to empathy.

The concept of relations includes positive and open attitudes to other people’s competence and opinions. By becoming aware of the qualities that lie in empathy and humility, managers will become better

coaches. Wise decisions, the right actions and good choices require qualities in addition to the ability to make decisions.

They are about seeing the talent in each employee and coaching him/her so that the employee feels confident of his/her own talent and resources. By being humble and empathetic, managers avoid being didactic and conceited and having a supercilious attitude that is very demotivating.

A coaching manager’s challenge is thus to administer employees who are in the ”flow” so that the tasks to be carried out are done by motivated and involved employees!

As Union representatives Lin and Camilla have attended studies in coaching, which is part of a one-year program in HR. This is a benefit provided through VEFF/Parat.

The study is interesting and provides a lot of inspiration and motivation!

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I Fordeler I

Tanker om husforeningers fortrinn VEFF er fremdeles en relativt ny del av YS-forbundet Parat. Parat må lære VEFF (enda) bedre å kjenne – og VEFF tilsvarende vinne erfaring med og kunnskap om Parat – for at vi sammen skal få ut det beste, til medlemmenes fordel.

En underkommunisert faktor i interaksjonen mellom VEFF og Parat er vår felles tro på det som i vårt stammespråk kalles ”vertikal organisering”. Dette begrepet er egentlig bare en omskriving av troen på den sterke og samlende husforenings fordeler.

Parat er i ganske stor grad bygget opp av store, sterke og samlende husforeninger, etatsorganisasjoner, bedriftsforbund – kjært barn har mange navn. Vi har riktignok et mangfold som gjør at vi også har plass for rene yrkesorganisasjoner og/eller utdanningsbaserte forbund. Men det dominerende organiseringselementet hos Parat er ”vertikal organisering”. Det betyr at vi, enten det er snakk om privat sektor eller offentlig sektor, tilbyr medlemskap til alle kategorier arbeidstakere på en arbeidsplass eller innen et tariffområde.

Tanken bak vertikal organisering, den sterke husforeningen, er selvsagt ”sammen står vi sterkest”. Og kanskje enda mer eksplisitt: Ved samlet organisering minsker muligheten for at vår ærede motpart kan invitere til ”splitt-og-hersk” blant ansatt­grupper på samme arbeidsplass. Men også ”den norske modellen”, det forpliktende treparts­ samarbeidet, forutsetter brede og ansvarlige organisasjoner. En oppsplittet og fragmentert organisering fører til at arbeidstaker­ siden ikke har mulighet til å stille forpliktende opp der – av og til – også upopulære grep og tiltak må igangsettes, for å forhindre noe som antakelig er mye verre.

En stor, sterk og stolt husforening, eller i nasjonalt perspektiv, en hovedorganisasjon (som vår eget YS), har imidlertid en bredde og representativitet som gjør oss til en

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© Trygve Bergsland

Hans-Erik Skjæggerud, leder i Parat

relevant samtalepartner og avtalepartner for så vel arbeidsgiversiden som myndig­ hetene.

Det går ikke an å legge skjul på at det finnes andre organiseringsprinsipper. Dersom du opplever at din identitet og dine interesser i mindre grad dreier seg om at du er en DNV GL-ansatt, og i større grad dreier seg om at du er ”lege”, ”jurist”, ”ingeniør” eller ”sykepleier”, så vil du kanskje kunne fristes av andre organiseringsløsninger.

I vektskålen ligger da en avgjørelse knyttet til hvor du selv opplever av meste­ parten av din lojalitet, din identitet og dine interesser er: Er du først og fremst opptatt av at du er ansatt i bedriften du er ansatt i, føler et fellesskap med denne bedriften og med de øvrige kolleger i bedriften, så vil det vertikale organisasjonsprinsippet veie tungt. Er du i mindre grad opptatt av fellesskapet med ledelse og ansatte i den bedriften du er ansatt i, og i større grad føler din identitet og din lojalitet knyttet til f.eks. din utdanning, vil vektskålen kanskje tippe en annen vei.

Fra Parats side er vår erfaring at den samlede, representative og sterke hus­ forening er en meget god løsning i de aller fleste tilfeller, både for bedriften og for de ansatte. VEFF står frem som et tydelig bilde på dette. Vi ønsker alt godt for videre arbeid til medlemmenes beste!

I Benefits I

Thoughts on the benefits of having an in-house trade union

© iStock

VEFF is still a relatively new part of Parat, which is a member of the Confederation of Vocational Unions.

Parat has to get to know VEFF (even) better – and VEFF must correspondingly gain experience of – and find out more about – Parat so that we can together bring out the best in each other for the benefit of our members.

One under-communicated factor in the interaction between VEFF and Parat is our common belief in that which in our internal language is called ”vertical organisation”.

This concept is really just another way of saying faith in the strong and inclusive benefits of an in-house trade union. Parat is to quite a large extent built up of large, strong and inclusive in-house trade unions, public-sector departmental organisations, company associations – a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. It is true that our diversity also gives us room for purely occupational organisations and/or education-based unions. But our dominant organisational element is ”vertical organ­ isa­tion”. This means that, whether in the private or public sector, we offer member­ ship to all categories of employees in a workplace or collective agreement area.

The idea behind vertical organisation, the strong in-house trade union, is naturally that ”we are strongest together”. And perhaps even more explicitly: by organising everyone, there is less chance that our honourable opposite party can ”divide and

conquer” employee groups in the same workplace. But the ”Norwegian model” – the mandatory tripartite collaboration – also requires broad and responsible organisations. A divided and fragmented organisation means that the employee side is unable to provide mandatory support when – sometimes unpopular – moves and measures have to be initiated too, in order to prevent something that is probably much worse. A large, strong and proud in-house trade union, or in a national perspective a main trade union – like our own Confederation of Vocational Unions (YS) – has, however, a breadth and representativeness that makes us a relevant discussion partner and agreement partner for both the employer side and the authorities.

It cannot be denied that there are other organisational principles. If you feel that your identity and interests are less about you being a DNV GL employee and more about you being a ”doctor”, ”lawyer”, ”engineer” or ”nurse”, you may be tempted by other organisational solutions.

This requires a decision on where you feel most of your loyalty, identity and interests lie: are you primarily focused on being an employee of the company that employs you, do you feel a sense of community with this company and with the other colleagues in the company – if you do, then the vertical organisational principle will be important to you. Are you less focused on the sense of community with the management and employees of your company and more focused on your identity and loyalty linked to, for example, your education, then you may find other principles more important.

In Parat, our experience is that the inclusive, representative and strong in-house trade union is a very good solution in by far the most cases – for both the company and its employees. VEFF is a clear picture of this. We wish them all the best in their further work to benefit their members!

Hans-Erik Skjæggerud, general secretary of Parat

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I Membership I

A new VEFF member I am new in DNV GL, and I was recruited to become a VEFF member at one of the new recruitment lunches that VEFF arranges.

© VEFF

© VEFF

Victoria Tidemand

The lunch and the meeting were really interesting, and I ­learned a lot about DNV GL and the VEFF organisation. It is fun to be introduced to new colleagues, and I also got to meet new colleagues coming from GL. I did not know that VEFF is a Union only for employees working for DNV GL. This suits me fine because I don’t want

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to involve myself with unions that are politically oriented.

I also learned a lot about VEFF by looking at their homepage veff.no. There I found some interesting articles from previous VEFF Magazines.

If you are curious or have any questions about VEFF, send a mail to VEFF and they will help you out.

I Nikolaos Boussounis In memoriam I

Nikolaos Boussounis in memoriam VEFF was very moved when we learned that Regional Manager Nikolaos Boussounis suddenly passed away two weeks after the 150-year celebrations in Athens.

It is with a heavy and sad heart that we write to say that the Maritime Regional Manager for the East Mediterranean, Black and Caspian Seas Region, Nikolaos Boussounis, suddenly passed away on 8 October.

Nikos started his career in DNV in 1982 as Hull Approval trainee in DNV at Høvik, Oslo, after obtaining a Diploma in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens, Greece.

From March 1983 until September 1990 he worked as SIO surveyor/ Approval Engineer at the DNV Piraeus office in Greece.

In October 1990 he was promoted to Station Manager of DNV Cyprus, with the aim to establish DNV’s branch in Limassol, Cyprus.

After two successful years in Cyprus he returned to Greece in 1992, undertaking the vital position of the Customer Service Manager of the Piraeus office.

In 1996 he was promoted to District Manager for the Piraeus office and from 2001 to 2008 he was the Maritime Manager for the Region East and Central Mediterranean.

From 2009 to 2010, Nikos was the responsible Maritime Manager for East and Central Mediterranean. Finally, from 2010 until October 2014 he was the Regional Manager for the Region East Mediterranean, Black and Caspian Seas.

Nikos, besides being a manager, was also a great leader, successfully steering DNV’s interests in a very important but demanding local market.

In these thirty-two years, Nikos was one of the greatest ambassadors of our organisation. Due to his hard work, dedication and his high engagement, the

© DNV GL

Vassilis Stavridis

Piraeus office became one of the most successful regional offices in the company.

Nikos was a fair, honest, dedicated and engaged employee and deeply appreciated among his colleagues and our customers. His high technical calibre, his professionalism and his personal qualities made him a central and much trustable figure in the Greek shipping community.

His sudden death was a big shock to all of us. He leaves a large gap behind

him for his beloved family, his close friends, his colleagues and for DNV GL in general.

To honour Nikos and his support to research and innovation activities in Piraeus, it was decided that the research grant which the company provides to the National Technical University of Athens, will be renamed as the Nikolaos Boussounis DNV GL Sponsorship. This is a small tribute to our much missed colleague.

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I Forandring I

Når forandring ikke fryder …

Dagens arbeidsliv er preget av krevende omstillings- og endringsprosesser der endringstakten synes å være økende, og dette er noe vi også i DNV GL kjenner på etter sammenslåingen i fjor.

Hilde Sofie Hustad

Økt globalisering og teknologisering, oppkjøp og outsourcing gir grunnlag for nye strategier og endringsprosesser.

Slike omstillinger stiller store krav til egen kompetanse og personlig mestring både for ledere og medarbeidere. Dette innebærer at begreper som lojalitet og jobbsikkerhet har fått en ny betydning for oss som arbeidstakere. Evnen til å kunne håndtere endringer og forebygge eventuelle negative konsekvenser av dem, vil også i stor grad prege vår organisasjonskultur.

Eksempler på spørsmål som kan dukke opp under endringsprosesser: • Hvorfor må vi endre på noe som fungerer?

• Hvor lojal skal jeg være til noe jeg ikke tror på?

• Hva betyr dette for meg?

• Hvorfor skal jeg ofre meg?

• Hvorfor får han, mens jeg …?

YTRE OPPLEVELSER

Benektelse “sjokk”

Tilpasning “satsing”

FORTID

FREMTID Reaksjon “motstand”

Undersøkelse “bearbeiding”

INDRE SELV

Scott og Jaffes forandringskurve

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Det er helt naturlig at slike spørsmål stilles, men samtidig handler det om at vi må tilpasse oss realitetene. Vi kan være uenige i endringene, men like fullt vil det skje. Da kan vi velge hvordan vi skal håndtere situasjonen, og hvordan vi vil orientere oss mot en ny fremtid.

Hvorfor skal jeg legge ned en innsats?

Jo, hvorfor skal ikke jeg være med å bidra til å skape den gode arbeidsplassen jeg selv ønsker å være en del av?

Ledere skal være gode rollemodeller og de som loser oss gjennom endringsprosessene. Gjennom sin adferd og sine holdninger viser de sine medarbeidere hvilke spilleregler som gjelder. Våre ledere er derfor de viktigste kulturbærerne og spiller en avgjørende rolle for vårt arbeidsmiljø, ikke minst i krevende tider.

Relevante spørsmål i den sammenheng er: • Hvordan påvirker jobbusikkerhet risiko for mobbing i organisasjoner under endring?

• Hva har ledelse å si for vår opplevelse av jobbusikkerhet?

Universitetet i Bergen har i senere år foretatt flere kvalitative studier av norsk arbeidsliv, der man nettopp har sett på sammenhengen mellom opplevelse av endring i jobbsituasjon og jobbusikkerhet, og om dette forholdet påvirkes av mobbing og konstruktiv ledelse. Ikke uventet påviser forskning en sterk sammenheng mellom endring og jobbusikkerhet. Studiene gir også god støtte for hypotesen om at mobbing forekommer hyppigere blant arbeidstakere som opplever endringer i sin organisasjon. Endrings- og omstillingsprosesser innebærer derfor en risikofaktor for mobbing. Konflikter er som oftest uunngåelig i en endringsprosess, men måten konflikter håndteres på vil avgjøre i hvilken grad negative handlinger vedvarer over tid og om det utvikler seg til mobbing. Mobbing defineres ved noe som oppstår når en person systematisk over lengre tid føler seg utsatt for negative handlinger fra en eller flere personer på en sånn måte at den som rammes har problemer med å forsvare seg mot disse handlingene. Se også artikkelen om mobbing i VEFF Magasin 2/2012.

© iStock

I Forandring I

Opplevelsen av høyere belastning, mer krevende jobbsituasjon i form av økt jobbusikkerhet og intern konkurranse kan lett medføre en lavere terskel for aggresjon og mobbeadferd.

I de omstillingsprosessene VEFF er med på, har vi sett det er vesentlig at disse er godt planlagt og gjennomføres raskt.

Trekker prosessen ut i tid, er vår erfaring at jobbusikkerheten eskalerer. Det er derfor viktig å planlegge og gjennomføre endringer på en forutsigbar og god måte, for å kunne minimere uønsket adferd som mobbing.

Sammenhengen mellom endring og mobbing kan også forklares ved Scott og Jaffes forandringskurve. Denne kurven beskriver ulike sannsynlige reaksjonsmønstre ved endring, der første fase er en tilstand av sjokk og benektelse, mens andre fase er en reaksjonsfase der mange ansatte vil yte motstand.

Den fasen viser seg gjerne gjennom følelsesutbrudd og utløp til frustrasjon, hvilket ofte vil gå utover andre. Dersom mange lar sin frustrasjon gå ut over andre, vil konfliktene fort kunne

eskalere og over tid kunne utvikle seg til mobbing. Det er nemlig mye lettere å la frustrasjonen gå utover personer enn organisasjoner.

Ut fra denne argumentasjonen skulle man kanskje forvente en sterk sammenheng mellom endring og mobbing, men studiene viser imidlertid kun en moderat sammenheng. Konstruktiv ledelse og organisasjonens evne til å håndtere konflikter vil spille en avgjørende rolle og viser seg å ha en modererende effekt på denne sammenhengen.

Til tross for at endringer er og har vært et vanlig fenomen i norsk arbeidsliv de senere år, viser studiene at mange tilsyne­ latende fortsatt ikke evner å håndtere disse på en god måte.

Den relative sterke (moderate) sammenhengen mellom endring og mobbing viser tydelig at endringsprosesser kan få utilsiktede og alvorlige konsekvenser. Som nevnt i tidligere artikler i VEFF Magasin rammer mobbing ikke bare offeret, men også andre arbeidstakere i tillegg til familie. All kunnskap om de alvorlige konsekvensene mobbing har, tilsier at endrings-

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© iStock

I Forandring I

ledere må være ekstra oppmerksomme på dette, og være forberedt på gripe inn i konflikter og sette stopper for negative handlinger som kan oppleves som mobbing og trakassering.

Hva så med lederne selv? De er endringsagenter samtidig som de kanskje selv opplever stor jobbusikkerhet og sterk konkurranse. Hvordan tar vi vare på ledere som selv føler seg utsatt? Dersom lederens egen usikkerhet skinner igjennom, vil dette raskt kunne spre seg nedover i rekkene og medføre en gjennomgripende svak lojalitet. En organisasjon som preges av at alle går rundt og tenker mest på seg selv, er sjelden særlig effektiv.

Arbeidslivsstudiene som har rettet fokus mot ledelse viser at konstruktiv ledelse alene ikke er tilstrekkelig til å redusere jobb­usikkerhet under endringsprosesser. Jobbusikkerhet er noe vi må lære oss å leve med i et samfunn som er preget av stadige endringer og jobbskifter. Eller som McKenna så bra uttrykker det: Job security is a concern for everyone, but not an expectation for anyone, because people know they no longer have jobs for life.

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Et godt arbeidsmiljø – vårt felles ansvar Hvordan vi håndterer jobbusikkerhet og i hvilken grad vi ­opplever at ledelsen behandler sine medarbeidere på en skikke­lig og respektfull måte i omstillings- og nedbemanningssituasjoner, er helt avgjørende for vår lojalitet til arbeidsgiver.

VEFF legger ned en stor innsats på å bistå sine medlemmer i slike situasjoner, og vil utrettelig fortsette med det i tiden fremover.

Like fullt er det mye hver enkelt av oss kan bidra med ved å stille opp som en god kollega i en krevende hverdag. Det handler om å løfte blikket og bry seg om hverandre – for eksempel å ta seg tid til en kollega som strever eller som vil sette pris på noen å snakke med.

I en travel hverdag blir dette lett glemt, men hva om vi alle rett og slett bare la inn denne faste ukentlig påminnelsen i kalenderen vår: ”Husk å se utover deg og ditt, og vær en kollega!”

Sånt kan lett gi gode ringvirkninger – langt større enn mange likes på Facebook. Blir du med?

I Change I

When change is not tempting …

Today’s working life is characterised by demanding reorganisation and change processes in which the pace seems to be increasing, and this is something we in DNV GL also notice following the merger last year.

Increased globalisation, technology usage, acquisitions and outsourcing provide a basis for new strategies and change processes.

Such reorganisations make great demands on the competence and personal coping skills of both managers and employees. This means that concepts such as loyalty and job security now have a new meaning for us as employees. The ability to handle changes and prevent them from having any negative consequences will also to a large extent characterise our organisational culture.

Examples of questions that may arise during change processes: • Why do we have to change something that works?

• How loyal must I be to something I don’t believe in?

• What does this mean for me?

• Why should I sacrifice myself?

• Why does he get, while I …?

It is completely natural to ask such questions, but at the same time we must adapt to the reality of the situation. We may disagree on the changes, but they will happen anyway. So, we can choose how to handle the situation and how to face a new future.

Bergen University has in recent years conducted several qualitative studies of Norwegian working life in which it has looked at the link between the experience of a change in a job situation and job insecurity, and whether this issue is affected by bullying and constructive management.

Not unexpectedly, the research shows a strong link between a change and job uncertainty. The studies also provide a lot of support for the hypothesis that there is more bullying among employees who experience changes in their organisation Change and reorganisation processes therefore entail a risk of bullying. Conflicts are usually unavoidable in a change process, but the way in which conflicts are handled will determine the extent to which negative acts continue to take place over time and whether they develop into bullying. Bullying is defined as something that arises when a person systematically and over a lengthy period feels subjected to negative acts from one or more persons in such a way that the person affected has problems defending him/herself against

EXTERNAL EXPERIENCES

Why should I make an effort?

Well, why shouldn’t I help create the good workplace I want to be part of?

Managers must be good role models and steer us through the change processes.

Through their conduct and attitudes, they show their staff the rules that apply. Our managers are therefore our most important culture-bearers and play a crucial role in our working environment, not least in demanding times.

Relevant questions in this context are: • How does job insecurity affect the risk of bullying in changing organisations?

• How does management affect our experience of job uncertainty?

these actions. See also the article on bullying in VEFF Magazine 2/2012.

The experience of greater strain and a more demanding job situation in the form of increased job uncertainty and internal competition may easily lead to a lower threshold for aggression and bullying conduct.

In the reorganisation processes that VEFF has been involved in, we have seen that it is important that these are well planned and carried out quickly. If the process drags out in time, it is our experience that the feeling of job uncertainty escalates. It is therefore important to plan and carry out changes in a predictable and good manner in order to minimise undesirable conduct such as bullying.

The link between a change and bullying can also be explained by Scott and Jaffe’s change curve. This curve describes various probable reaction patterns to change, in which the first phase is a state of shock and denial, while the second phase is a reaction phase in which many employees will express resistance. That phase

Denial ”shock”

Adaption “commitment”

PAST

FUTURE Reaction ”resistance”

Exploration ”processing”

INNER SELF Scott and Jaffe’s change curve

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Š iStock

I Change I

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© iStock

I Change I

often includes emotional outbursts and expressions of frustration, which often affect other people. If many people allow their frustration to affect others, the conflicts may easily escalate and, over time, develop into bullying. It is actually much easier to allow one’s frustration to affect people rather than organisations.

Based on this argument, a strong link between a change and bullying could perhaps be expected, but the studies only show a moderate link. Constructive management and the organisation’s ability to handle conflicts play a crucial role and have proven to have a moderating effect on this link.

Despite the fact that changes are and have been a normal phenomenon in Norwegian working life in recent years, the study shows that many people are apparently still unable to handle these well. The relatively strong (moderate) link between changes and bullying clearly shows that change processes can have unintended and serious consequences.

As mentioned in previous articles in VEFF Magazine, bullying affects not only victims but also other employees in addition to family. All that we know about bullying’s serious consequences indicates that change managers have to pay extra attention to this and be prepared to intervene in conflicts and put a stop to negative acts that can be experienced as bullying and harassment.

So what about the managers themselves? They are change agents at the same time as they may themselves experience a lot of job uncertainty and stiff competition. How can we take care of managers who themselves feel vulnerable?

If the manager’s own uncertainty shines through, this may quickly spread down the ranks and lead to weak loyalty throughout

the organisation. An organisation that is characterised by everyone thinking mainly about themselves is rarely very efficient.

The working-life studies that have focused on management show that constructive management alone is not enough to reduce job uncertainty during change processes. Job uncertainty is something we have to learn to live with in a society characterised by constant changes and job shifts. Or as McKenna so excellently puts it: Job security is a concern for everyone, but not an expectation for anyone, because people know they no longer have jobs for life.

A good working environment – our joint responsibility The way in which we deal with job uncertainty, and the extent to which we experience that the management treats employees in a proper, respectful manner during reorganisation and downsizing situations, are crucial to our loyalty towards our employer. VEFF puts a great deal of effort into helping its members in such situations and will tirelessly continue to do so in the future.

However, there is a lot that each of us can contribute by being there as a helpful colleague in our demanding day-to-day work. We have to look at and care about each other – for example, take time for a colleague who is struggling or would appreciate someone to talk to.

This is easy to forget in a busy working day but what if we all quite simply put this weekly reminder into our calendars: ”Remember to look beyond you and your own concerns and be a colleague!”

That can easily have ripple effects – far greater than a lot of likes on Facebook.

Are you willing to do that?

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I VEFF I

Opprettelsen av VEFF På den interne historiebloggen kan en lese hvordan DNV og GL i sin tid ble opprettet, men hvordan startet VEFF? Ellen Margrethe Pihl Konstad

Det hele startet med en lovendring. ”Lov om Arbeidervern” stammer fra 1892. I 1936 kom det inn en paragraf 34 ”Arbeidsreglement”. Den slo fast at i enhver industriell bedrift, handels- og kontorbedrift skulle arbeidsgiver i samråd med ”fem av medarbeiderne valgte representanter for de arbeidere som ikke har en ledende eller kontrollerende stilling”, utarbeide et arbeidstidsreglement.

Det nevnte reglementet skulle inneholde ordensregler, vilkår for ansettelse, oppsigelse og avskjed, og ikke minst regler for utbetaling av lønn. Det presiseres i note til loven at reglementet skal ”istandbringes ved forhandlinger” mellom partene.

I januar 1937 ble det avholdt en skriftlig avstemning blant de ansatte i henhold til loven, og fem representanter ble valgt til Veritas Funksjonærråd, forløperen til VEFF. Rådet hadde en kvinneandel på 20%!

Funksjonærrådets viktigste oppgave var å få på plass ”Arbeidsreglement for Det norske Veritas”. Det var på plass i løpet av våren 1937. Så var det stille i nesten tre år, frem til krigen kom til Norge. Den norske flåten ble splittet. Den hjemmeværende delen var liten og besto hovedsakelig av fiskefartøyer og ande småskip, noe som resulterte i et betydelig fall i arbeidsmengde. Det var liten eller ingen kontakt med Veritas utenfor Norge, og økonomien var dårlig. Lønn for høyere stillinger – dvs de som tjente mer enn kr 10 500 – ble kuttet med inntil 25% allerede tidlig i 1940.

Utover i 1940 ble det en hektisk møtevirksomhet, problemet var lønnsreduksjon. Funksjonærrådet hevdet at den virkelige reduksjonen i lønn var på 35–38%, fordi leveomkostningen hadde steget betraktelig. Gjennom krigen var lav lønn og dårlig tilgang på mat (noe som resulterte i ordninger som andelsgriser) hyppige tema på møter, det ble også diskutert om en kunne ta kontakt med Veritas-kontoret i Gøteborg om mulig matforsendelse derfra. Men også tema av mer prinsipiell art ble behandlet. Rådet jobbet med å få en ansattrepresentant inn i den faste komiteen, dvs Veritas’ styre. Selv om det viste seg at dette skulle ta tid, var det første skritt på veien til ansattes representasjon.

I mars 1955 behandlet rådet en unik sak. Det hadde fått en anmodning om hjelp fra en ansatt som var blitt sagt opp

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ved kontoret i Newcastle. Det var enighet om å etterkomme anmodningen, da de ikke kunne se noen rimelig grunn til oppsigelsen. Det ble formulert en skriftlig anmodning til administrasjonen om å få oppsigelsen annullert, alternativt at saken ble lagt frem for styret i Veritas. Resultatet var at oppsigelsen ble trukket tilbake, og Mr Blair fikk beholde jobben.

Temaer som ble behandlet utover 1960-tallet inkluderte plassmangel, spiserom for ansatte (som ble avslått grunnet plassmangel), velferdsfond for de ansatte, samlokalisering på Etterstad inkludert antall parkeringsplasser, arbeidstid og lørdagsfri, bedriftshelsetjeneste, pensjon og 100-års jubileumsfest.

Lite nytt under solen, med andre ord.

I 1970 behandlet man spørsmålet om å oppløse funksjonærutvalget til fordel for andre interesseforeninger – men mer om det i neste VEFF Magasin.

DNV’s kontorlokaler, tegnesalen i desember 1935. Fra venstre: Ing. Einar Bratsberg, Ass. Dagfinn Lie, Ing. J.M. Jensen og Sverre Bergh-Smith.

I VEFF I

The founding of VEFF In the internal history blog, you can read about how DNV and GL were established – but how did VEFF start?

© DNV GL

It all started with a change in legislation.

The ”Employee Protection Act” was passed in Norway in 1892. In 1936, a new section 34 – Work Rules – was introduced. This stipulated that in every manufacturing, trading and office company, the employer – in consultation with ”five employee-elected representatives of the employees not having a senior or controlling job” – had to prepare working-hour rules.

These rules were to specify conduct, conditions governing hiring, dismissal with notice and summary dismissal and, not least, rules concerning the payment of salary. A note to the Act makes it clear

that the rules are to ”come into existence through negotiations” between the parties.

In January 1937, the employees held a written ballot in accordance with the Act, and five representatives were elected to the Veritas Office Employee Committee, the predecessor of VEFF. This Committee had a female percentage of 20%!

The Committee’s most important task was to put in place ”Work Rules for Det norske Veritas”. These were in place in the spring of 1937. Then things were quiet for almost three years until the war came to Norway.

The Norwegian fleet was split in two.

The part in Norway was small and consisted mainly of fishing vessels and other small ships, and this resulted in a considerable drop in the workload. There was little or no contact with DNV outside Norway, and the company’s finances were poor. The salary for senior positions – i.e. those who earned more than NOK 10,500 – was cut by 25% as early as in 1940.

In 1940, there was a hectic round of meetings regarding the problem of pay cuts. The Veritas Office Employee Committee alleged that salaries were really reduced by 35–38% because the cost of living had risen dramatically. During the war, poor pay and reduced access to food (which resulted in schemes such as shares in pigs) were frequent topics at meetings, where it was also discussed whether contact could be made with the DNV office in Gothenburg regarding possible

food shipments from there. However, matters of principle were also addressed.

The Committee made efforts to get an employee representative into the permanent committee, i.e. DNV’s Board. Although this proved to take time, it was the first step on the road to employee representation.

In March 1955, the Committee dealt with a unique case. It had received a request for help from an employee who had been dismissed at the office in Newcastle. The Committee agreed to comply with the request, as they could not see any reasonable grounds for the dismissal. A written request was sent to the management asking them to annul the dismissal or to submit the matter to the DNV Board. As a result, the dismissal was retracted and Mr Blair was allowed to keep his job.

Topics addressed in the 1960s included lack of space, a dining room for the employees (denied due to lack of space), a welfare fund for the employees, co-localisation at Etterstad in Oslo, including the number of parking spaces, working hours and time off on Saturdays, company health service, pension, and 100th anniversary celebrations. In other words, nothing new under the sun.

In 1970, the question was raised whether to dissolve the Veritas Office Employee Committee and replace it with other employee associations – but more on that in the next VEFF Magazine.

DNV’s offices, the drawing room in December 1935. From left: Engineer Einar Bratsberg, assistent Dagfinn Lie, engineer J.M. Jensen and Sverre Bergh-Smith.

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© iStock

I VEFF Studietur I

VEFFs studietur til Roma Hvert år reiser VEFFs styre på en studietur for å bli bedre på aktuelle temaer vi trenger for å kunne være gode tillitsvalgte. I 2013 gikk turen til Roma, og tema for samlingen var: Hvordan blir vi motiverte og bedre på å rekruttere nye medlemmer til VEFF? Nina Ivarsen

Organisasjonsgraden i DNV GL i Norge er meget høy for en kunnskapsbedrift. Det betyr at man er i ferd med å nå ”glass­ taket”, som det sies på fagspråket – men vi tok utfordringen og ville finne ut av hvordan det ville være mulig å vinne tilliten til flere ansatte.

Samlingen hadde fokus på oss som tillitsvalgte og vår rolle.

Vi tok utgangspunkt i de problemstillinger som er mest etterspurt av medlemmer. En av problemstillingene er endringer, som er utfordrende. Når vi får til gode endringsprosesser blir vi tryggere på å støtte medlemmer som opplever jobbusikkerhet.

Her er noen av temaene vi gikk igjennom:

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• Diskutér reelle problemstillinger i pågående endringsprosesser.

• Trekk teorier ned på jorda og knytt dem opp mot egne erfaringer; hva virker og hva virker ikke?

• Hva er nytt innen endringsledelse, og hva er viktig å ta med seg videre?

Noen ganger er det teoretisk kunnskap fra eksterne eksperter som skal til. Andre ganger kan vi egentlig mer enn nok selv.

Men vi har gjerne behov for å strukturere tankene og få brynet dem opp mot andres. ”Den gode samtalen” som gjør at brikker faller på plass inneholder ofte alt for mye ”snakk”. Gjen-

I VEFF Studietur I

© VEFF

nom gode diskusjoner, som holdes på sporet, kan vi se nye sammenhenger og få klarhet.

Vi vil bli bedre tillitsvalgte som er godt skolert i de prosessene og de utfordringen vi ser kommer. Gjennom å støtte våre medlemmer, være tilstede og få resultater, konkluderte vi med at ansatte vil oppleve dette og være lojale til den fagforeningen som vier all sin tid og lojalitet til ansatte i DNV GL. Har du lyst til å være tillitsvalgt, er det bare å si fra til oss – det skal være morsomt og utfordrende.

Rekrutteringskampanjen ble vunnet av VEFF medlem i Danmark – les hennes historie nederst på siden.

Høstsamlingen i 2014 går til Barcelona – og som kjent er rekrutteringspremien en tur for to til nettopp Barcelona.

Tema for 2014-samlingen er: Hvordan ser fremtiden ut?

Hvor er vi på vei og hvordan kommer dette til å påvirke vår virksomhet?

Formålet med samlingen er å bli oppdatert på hva som skjer i næringslivet og i det akademiske felt. Vi diskuterer de aller siste statusrapporter om trender og analyser i verden, som kan inspirere oss til utvikling og bedre forståelse av markedene og utfordringene i DNV GL.

Bhoejana van de Donk, Business Support Manager, Oil & Gas Denmark West Baltic and North Atlantic Jeg var så heldig at vinde en fantastisk tur til Rom. Den 16/9 rejste min mand og jeg til Rom, vi boede midt i centrum på et B&B kun 100 meter fra Pantheon-templet.

Lige nedenfor vores vindue havde vi udsigt til restauranter, en chokoladeforretning og en masse liv.

Vi boede centralt og kunne gå til alle attraktionerne, så vi fik gået en hel del km.

Vi fik set: • Pantheon-templet.

• Colosseum.

• Forum Romanum.

• Den Spanske Trappe.

• Peterskirken og muséerne samt det Sixtinske Kapel – her tog vi en guided tur, hvilket virkeligt kan anbefales.

• Engelsborg – en middelalderborg med en lang mur med direkte forbindelse til Vatikanet.

• Piazza Navona med de fantastisk flotte springvand.

• Den nordlige del af Rom med parker og vandtempel.

© VEFF

Rom er bare en fantastisk by hvor man føler man er flere 100 år tilbage i tid, og tiden står stille når man går rundt i de gamle historiske gader og bare oplever stemningen. Skøn mad, venlige mennesker og gode oplevelser. En fantastisk tur, solskin og 28 grader.

Størst indtryk gjorde trods alt Peterskirken og det Sixtinske Kapel med de fantastisk flotte Michelangelo-malerier.

Tusind tak til VEFF for denne fantastiske tur! :) Bhoejana van de Donk

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I VEFF study trip I

VEFF’s Study Trip to Rome Each year, the VEFF Board goes on a study trip to find out more about relevant topics that we have to know about in order to be good trade union representatives. In 2013, the trip went to Rome and the topic was: How can we become motivated and better at recruiting new members to VEFF?

• Discuss real problems in ongoing change processes.

• Draw theories down to earth and link them to own experience; what works and what does not?

• What is new in the field of change management, and what is important to bring with us?

Sometimes we need the theoretical knowledge of external experts. At other times, we really know more than enough ourselves. But we often need to structure our thoughts and test them against those of other people.

In ”good conversations” which allow the pieces to fall into place, there is often

far too much ”talk”. Through good discussions that remain on track, we can see new links and obtain clarity.

We want to be better union representatives who are well schooled in the processes and challenges we can see coming. By supporting our members, being present and achieving results, we concluded that employees will experience this and be loyal to the trade union that focuses all its time and loyalty on employees of DNV GL. If you want to be a union representative, simply tell us – it is fun and challenging.

The recruitment campaign was won by a VEFF member in Denmark – read her story on the next page.

© VEFF

The level of trade union organisation in DNV GL in Norway is very high for a knowledge-based company. In trade union language, that means we are about to reach the ”glass ceiling” – but we accepted the challenge and wanted to find out how we could win the confidence of more employees.

The seminar focused on us and our role as union representatives. We based our discussions on the issues that are most asked about by our members. One of these is changes, which is a challenging subject.

When we achieve a better change process, we will support members who experience job uncertainty.

Some of the issues we discussed were:

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I VEFF study trip I

© iStock

The autumn seminar in 2014 will be in Barcelona – and as you know, the recruitment premium is a trip for two to Barcelona.

The topics for discussion at the 2014 seminar are: What will the future be like?

Where are we heading and how will this affect our operations?

The objective of the seminar is to be updated on what is happening in industry and academia. We will discuss the latest status reports on trends and analyses in the world and these may inspire us to develop and obtain a better understanding of DNV GL’s markets and challenges.

Bhoejana van de Donk, Business Support Manager, Oil & Gas Denmark West Baltic and North Atlantic • The Forum Romanum.

• The Spanish Steps.

• St. Peter’s Basilica and the museums, as well as the Sistine Chapel – where we took a guided tour we can really recommend.

• The Mausoleum of Hadrian (Castel Sant’Angelo or Castle of the Holy Angel) – a fortress built in the Middle Ages with a long wall that connects it to the Vatican.

• The Piazza Navona, with its fantastic fountains.

• The northern part of Rome.

Rome is quite simply an incredible city where you feel you have been transported back several centuries, and time is standing still when you walk around the old, historical streets and just soak up the atmosphere. Delicious food, friendly people and wonderful experiences. A fantastic trip – sunny and 28 degrees Celsius.

I must say that St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel with its fantastic Michelangelo paintings made the greatest impression on me.

Thank you so much to VEFF for this wonderful trip!

© iStock

I was lucky enough to win the Recruitment Prize 2013 – a fantastic trip to Rome!

On 16 September, my husband and I travelled to Rome and stayed right in the city centre, at a B&B just 100 metres from the Pantheon. From our window, we could see restaurants, a chocolate shop and lots of people.

We stayed in the city centre and could go on foot to all the attractions, so we managed to walk a lot of kilometres.

We saw: • The Pantheon.

• The Colosseum.

This year’s recruitment price will be a trip to Barcelona.

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I Medlemsfordeler I

Medlemsfordeler VEFFs grunnprinsipp er lojalitet til arbeidsplassen og kollegaer, og ikke bare til utdanningen din. VEFF er den største fagorganisasjonen i DNV GL, for alle i DNV GL. Vi er den eneste som organiserer helt uavhengig av utdannelse.

Camilla Wiik

Gjennom Parat tilbyr VEFF begrenset privatrettslig rådgivning til sine medlemmer. Dette innebærer en times årlig gratis konsultasjon med advokat i saker som ikke berører arbeids­ forholdet.

Spar inn hele kontingenten!

Gjennom vår bank- og forsikringsavtale med Gjensidige kan du raskt spare inn hele medlemskontingenten.

Kurs for tillitsvalgte Hovedmålsettingen med grunnopplæringen er å sette deltakeren i stand til å utvikle og ivareta rollen som tillitsvalgt på en god måte, for å kunne ivareta medlemmenes behov, og etter hvert kanskje også bidra på den organisasjonspolitiske arena i VEFF. Grunnopplæringen skal tilbys alle tillitsvalgte i VEFF. Utviklingsprogrammet består av en grunnopplæring med tre nivåer, fordypningskurs og eksamensrettede kurs. De eksamensrettede kursene gir deltakerne studiepoeng.

Grunnopplæringen og fordypningskursene vil i hovedsak bli holdt av fagfolk med lang erfaring fra fagorganisasjoner og juridisk eller annen relevant kompetanse.

Trinn 0 • Presentasjon av VEFF, hva vi står for og hvordan vi er organisert. Hva er den tillitsvalgtes oppgaver, og hvordan føre timer. Presentasjonen vil være et lokalt møte med styremedlemmer og/eller via mail. Neste del av grunnopplæringen, fordypningskurs og eksamensrettede kurs går via Parat.

Trinn 1 • Dette møtet er bygd opp rundt en introduksjon til gjeldende lov og avtaleverk, en presentasjon av Parat som organisasjon, og refleksjon rundt rollen og vervet som tillitsvalgt. Deltakerne får også en innføring i Parats utviklings­program.

Trinn 2 • Etter å ha vært gjennom Trinn 1 skal den tillitsvalgte gis tilbud om deltakelse på Trinn 2. Denne samlingen er også regionalt forankret og setter fokus på rollen som tillitsvalgt – rettigheter, plikter, arbeidsoppgaver, hjelpemidler og virke­ midler. Her handler det om å skape trygghet i rollen som tillitsvalgt, samt introdusere begreper og systemer. En slik samling strekker seg over tre dager.

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Trinn 3 • Etter gjennomgang av Trinn 1 og Trinn 2 gis den tillitsvalgte tilbud om deltakelse på Trinn 3. Denne samlingen tar utgangspunkt i sektor/avtaleområde og bygger videre på det man har vært gjennom i de foregående samlingene, men med en større grad av fordypning. Vi tilhører privat sektor.

Fordypningskurs og eksamensrettede kurs For nærmere presentasjon av disse, gå inn på kursoversikten du finner under www.parat.com – Min side.

Utdanningsstipend (gjelder alle medlemmer) • Medlemmer i VEFF kan søke via Parat om utdannings­ stipend som tilskudd til etter- og videreutdanning.

• Økende kompetansekrav og et nytt utdanningssystem stiller stadig større krav til de som allerede er i arbeid.

• Parats utdanningsstipend er et økonomisk tilskudd til VEFF-medlemmer og andre som tar ansvar for sin egen utvikling gjennom etter- og videreutdanning.

• Søknadsfristene er 1. april og 1. oktober.

• Stipendordningen er ikke ment å skulle erstatte virksom­ hetens ansvar for kompetanseutvikling i forhold til de ­ansatte. Det er et mål for ordningen at den skal gjøres tilgjengelig for så mange medlemmer som mulig, og at deltakelse på konferanser som arrangeres av Parat sentralt skal prioriteres.

• Elektronisk søknadsskjema er nå lagt ut på Parats side. Logg deg inn på Min side, og velg Stipend i toppmenyen.

• Parats avtale med Studieforbundet Folke­universitetet gir medlemmer 10% rabatt på kurs­avgiften, maks. kr 1500. For å oppnå rabatt må du oppgi medlemsnummer ved kurs­ påmelding. Se også www.folkeuniversitetet.no. andre medlemsfordeler Strøm “Grønn” strøm gjennom spotavtale med Gudbrandsdal Energi.

Drivstoff Rabatt på bl.a. drivstoff hos Esso.

Hotell Rabatt på overnatting hos Choice Hotels Scandinavia og Thon Hotels.

I Medlemsfordeler I

Medlemsportaler med fordeler: www.parat.com veff@dnvgl.com

Teletjenester Rabatt fra Telenor på fasttelefon, internett/bredbånd, bredbåndstelefoni, mobiltelefoni.

Leiebil Rabatt på leiebil gjennom Avis. Avtalen omfatter hele bilflåten, fra personbiler til vare/last og minibusser, og gjelder over hele verden.

YS sikkerhetsbutikk Her kan du kjøpe sikkerhetsprodukter til person, hus og hjem.

YS medlemskort med MasterCard Dette er et medlemskort og betalingskort i ett. I tillegg til at kortet er et fullverdig medlemskort, får du tilgang til en rekke bankfordeler. Kortet kan brukes som betalingsmiddel over hele verden.

Banktjenester Gjensidige Bank tilbyr fordelaktige vilkår for deg og din ektefelle, samboer eller registrerte partner. Avtalen omfatter banktjenester, boliglån, billån, spare- og kredittkontoer med mer.

American Express Classic-kortet Sammen med DNB tilbyr YS American Express Classic-kortet, som gir rabatter over hele verden på alt fra shopping til leie­ bil. Betaler du med American Express får du også en god reise­forsikring, samt 45 dagers betalingsutsettelse.

Forsikringer til svært gunstige betingelser Rabatter på forsikring gjennom Gjensidige.

Bank- og forsikringsfordeler Gjennom YS som paraplyorganisasjon har vi også disse ­for­delene:

Husk å verve nye medlemmer!

Egenandelsfordel Med Bil Kasko eller Bil Pluss og ytterligere minst to skadeforsikringer, får du kr 4000 i redusert egenandel ved én kollisjonsskade pr år.

YS Innbo Bygger på Gjensidiges beste innboforsikring og koster mellom kr 44 og 127 i måneden, avhengig av hvor du bor og om du velger å forsikre innbo for kr 300 000 eller to millioner. IDtyverisikring er inkludert i forsikringen.

Rabatt i Sikkerhetsbutikken Du får 10% rabatt på skade­forebyggende utstyr i ys.sikkerhetsbutikken.no.

YS Dødsfallsforsikring Forsikringen gir en engangsutbetaling på enten 12 G eller 24 G til etterlatte dersom du dør. Dette kan f.eks. nedbetale gjeld, så det blir mulig å bli beholde boligen etter inntektsbortfall. Alle som har forsørgeransvar bør ha denne, og som YS-medlem er det mye å spare. Er du under 35 år, betaler du kr 39 pr måned.

YS Knallstart Som ung er det spesielt mye å spare på et YS-medlemskap.

Se gjensidige.no/ysknallstart.

YS Familieulykkesforsikring Denne gir en utbetaling til deg eller familiemedlem hvis dere blir medisinsk invalid som følge av en ulykke. Pris pr måned for hele familien er kr 91.

YS får de beste bankvilkårene i Gjensidige Bank Gjensidige Bank er en helhetlig bank til hele familien.

Blant annet kan barn over åtte år få eget bankkort. Vi tilbyr også moderne løsninger til smarttelefoner og nettbrett.

YS samlerabatter På skadeforsikringer (f.eks. bil, hus, båt, men ikke YS Innbo) får du 16% rabatt fra første forsikring, og 20% rabatt ved tre eller flere forsikringer.

YS produktrabatter Du får tilleggsrabatter på enkelte produkter (utover samle­ rabatten): 12% på Husforsikring, 5% på Reiseforsikring, 15% på Bilforsikring for deg under 30 år, og 10% på Kritisk Sykdom (her gis det ikke samlerabatt).

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I Membership benefits I

Membership benefits VEFF’s fundamental principle is loyalty to the workplace and colleagues, and not just to one’s education.

VEFF is the largest professional organisation in DNV GL, for everyone in DNV GL. We are the only union that organises employees completely irrespective of their education.

Through Parat, VEFF offers limited privatelaw advice to its members – a free, onehour yearly consultation with a lawyer for issues unrelated to the employment relationship.

Save the entire membership fee!

Our agreement with Gjensidige on banking and insurance services means that you can quickly save the entire membership fee.

Courses for trade union representatives We want each union representative to be able to safeguard our members’ interests in the best possible way. The development programme consists of basic training on three levels, in-depth courses and examoriented courses. The exam-oriented courses give participants study points (credits).

The basic training and in-depth courses will mainly be held by professionals with long experience of working for professional organisations and with legal or other relevant expertise.

The main goal of the basic training is to enable the union representative to develop and carry out his/her role as a union representative in a good manner in order to be able to safeguard the members’ needs and, gradually, perhaps also contribute in VEFF’s organisational policy arena. The basic training is to be offered to all VEFF representatives.

Step 0 A presentation of VEFF, what we stand for and how we are organised. What the union representative’s tasks are and how to register hours. The presentation will be a meeting with directors and/or via email.

This is done locally. The next part of the basic training, in-depth courses and examoriented courses are run by Parat.

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Step 1 This meeting is built up around an introduction to prevailing laws and bodies of agreement, a presentation of Parat as an organisation and thoughts on the role and post as a union representative. The new union representative will also be introduced to Parat’s development programme.

Step 2 After completing Step 1, the union representative is to be offered the chance to attend the three-day Step 2 course. This is also regionally anchored and focuses on the role of a union representative – rights, duties, tasks, aids and tools. This is about making the employee feel confident in his/her role as a union representative and about introducing concepts and systems.

Step 3 After completing Step 1 and Step 2, the union representative is offered the chance to attend Step 3. This is based on the sector/agreement area and builds further on the previous gatherings, but with more in-depth focus. We are part of the private sector.

In-depth courses and exam-oriented courses For a more detailed presentation of these, take a look at the course overview to be found on www.parat.com – My Page (Min side).

Study grant (applies to all members) • Members of VEFF can apply to Parat for a study grant to help pay for further or higher education.

• Increased competence requirements and the new education system make constantly greater demands on those who are already working. Each employee

will have to improve his/her competence in order to compete to retain the job or get a new one.

• Parat’s study grant is a financial contribution to VEFF members and others who take responsibility for their own development through further and higher education.

• The deadlines for application are 1 April and 1 October.

• The grant scheme is not meant to replace the company’s responsibility for developing the employees’ competence.

The scheme is intended to be available to as many members as possible, and attendance at conferences arranged by Parat’s head office is to be prioritised.

• An electronic application form has been published at Parat’s website. Log into My Page (Min Side) and choose Grant (Stipend) in the top menu.

• Parat has entered into an agreement with ”Folkeuniversitetet” – the Adult Education Association. This agreement gives members a 10% discount on course fees, limited to a maximum of NOK 1,500. To obtain this discount, you must state your membership number when you register for a course. For more information on ”Folkeuniversitetet” and its courses, see www.folkeuniversitetet.no.

Other membership benefits Electricity ”Green” electricity through a spot agreement with Gudbrandsdal Energi.

Fuel Discount on fuel, etc. from Esso.

I Membership benefits I

Member portals with benefits: www.parat.com veff@dnvgl.com

Hotels A discount on overnight stays at Choice Hotels Scandinavia and Thon Hotels.

Remember to recruit new members!

Insurances on very favourable conditions

Discount in the Safety Shop

Discounts on insurances through Gjensidige.

You receive a 10% discount on lossprevention equipment in the safety shop – ys.sikkerhetsbutikken.no.

Discount from Telenor – landlines, internet/ broadband, broadband telephony, mobile telephony.

Banking and insurance benefits

YS Life Insurance

Through YS as our umbrella organisation, we also have the following benefits:

Rental cars

Confederation of Vocational Unions (YS) discounts for having several insurances

YS (Confederation of Vocational Unions) safety shop

On non-life insurances (such as car, boat, building, but not YS Home Contents), you are given a 16% discount as from the first insurance and a 20% discount if you have three or more insurances.

This provides a lump-sum payment of either 12G or 24G to your surviving family if you die. This may be used to repay debt, for example, so that your family can keep their home despite the loss of income.

All those who have dependants should have this insurance and, as a member of the Confederation of Vocational Unions (YS), you can save a lot of money.

If you are under 35 years of age, you only pay NOK 39 per month.

Here you can buy safety products for people and homes.

YS product discounts

YS Great Start (Knallstart)

You receive additional discounts on some products (in addition to the discount for having several insurances):

If you are young, you can save even more than usual by being a member of the Confederation of Vocational Unions (YS).

See gjensidige.no/ysknallstart.

Telecom services

Discounts on rental cars from Avis.

The agreement covers the entire fleet from passenger cars to vans/trucks and minibuses, and applies worldwide.

YS membership card with MasterCard This is a membership card and payment card in one. In addition to being a membership card, the card gives you access to a number of banking benefits. The card can be used for payment worldwide.

Banking services Gjensidige Bank offers you and your spouse/cohabitant/registered civil partner beneficial terms. The agreement covers banking services, home mortgages, car loans, savings and credit accounts, etc.

The American Express Classic card Together with DNB, the Confederation of Vocational Unions (YS) offers the American Express Classic card to members.

• 12% on Buildings Insurance • 5% on Travel Insurance • 15% on Car Insurance for those under 30 years of age • 10% on Critical Illness Insurance (no discount for having several insurances is given for this insurance).

Reduced deductible If you have a Comprehensive Car Insurance or Car Insurance Plus and at least two more non-life insurances, your deductible is reduced by NOK 4,000 for one collision damage claim per annum.

YS Family Accident Insurance The insurance pays an amount to you or a family member if one of you becomes medically disabled as a result of an accident. The price per month for the whole family is NOK 91.

YS gets Gjensidige Bank’s best banking conditions Gjensidige Bank is a full-service bank for the whole family. Among other things, children over eight years of age can get their own bank card. We also offer modern solutions for smart phones and tablets.

YS Home Contents Insurance This card provides discounts worldwide, on everything from shopping to rental cars. If you pay with American Express, you also get a good travel insurance and are allowed 45 days’ payment deferral.

Based on Gjensidige’s best home contents insurance and costs only NOK 44–127 per month, depending on where you live and whether you choose home contents cover of NOK 300,000 or two million. ID theft insurance is included.

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Season’s greetingS

© VEFF

© VEFF 12-2014. Front cover photo: iStock. Design and layout: Coormedia.com 1410-046

to everyone from us in VEFF

And A

HAPPY NEW YEAR Hvordan bli medlem av VEFF

How to become a VEFF member

• Kontakt VEFF-kontoret: VEFF@dnvgl.com

• Contact the VEFF office: VEFF@dnvgl.com

• Du finner også informasjon på www.veff.no

• You will also find useful information on www.veff.no