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- Ruter is closing three service points to save money.
- Most employees have found new jobs at Sporveien. Some are redundant.
- YTF -Staff representatives at Sporveien believe the cut will affect both employees and the public.
The summary is created using artificial intelligence (AI)
Cher Isabelle Sandman was actually ready for summer vacation when she learned that something was afoot.
– It was just before the weekend and I was going on vacation, but then we were called in for an emergency meeting with management on Monday. It was a bit of a mess for me considering the vacation, but I got to see parts of the meeting – and that's when we got the message that it was over. Ruter had terminated the agreement. The news came as a shock to many.
– It was sad news to receive. We had just received some new programs and a new sales system, so I thought we would at least be able to work with the service points for three to five more years, says Sandman.
Ruter's management has decided to close the company's service points at Nationaltheatret, Majorstuen and Jernbanetorget. The decision is part of Ruter's efficiency program. The company will cut costs by NOK 500 million by 2027, and the closure of the service points will contribute NOK 16 million.
The three service points have been financed by Ruter, but staffed by employees from Sporveien. Press contact Tone S. Tuhus at Sporveien says the company must deal with Ruter's decision.
– We greatly understand that the decision has created frustration and unrest for many, and it has been important for Sporveien to ensure a responsible and orderly process.
Tone S. Tuhus
She says that the company has established good cooperation with the union representatives throughout the fall, and investigations have been carried out both internally at Sporveien and externally to find other jobs for the employees who have been affected.
– Before Christmas, we carried out an internal mapping and competency review, in addition to having a dialogue with the unions – with the goal of finding good solutions for as many people as possible. According to Tuhus, Sporveien has managed to find new jobs for the vast majority of people internally at Sporveien. In addition, one of the employees has found a job elsewhere in the municipality of Oslo, and one has retired.
– Unfortunately, it has not been possible to find solutions for everyone, and some employees are considered redundant, with priority for current positions in the Municipality of Oslo one year in the future.
– How do you continue to work?
– We are trying as best we can to look after the redundant employees during a demanding time for many. If positions become available that may be relevant for the redundant employees, they will be considered ahead of other external and internal applicants, says Tuhus.
Eivind Mathisen, head of YTF's department 72 in Sporveien , believes the closure of the service points is unfortunate.
– I think it's stupid. One thing is how it affects the employees, but if we look up – we see that this is also stupid for the public. It's stupid for Oslo as a tourist city, 26 and I've tried to put in the message that here you have to push to get money from other budgets too, says Mathisen.
He points out how the employees at the service offices spend a lot of their time helping tourists find their way.
– It could be people from Trøndelag who are visiting the capital, or it could be tourists from abroad. I believe that the hosting role that the service points play has a greater value than we have been able to measure. We have only looked at the number of tickets sold, and have not documented all the other inquiries.
Former head of YTF's department 272 and now deputy head of the same department, Faizan Afzal, has also been involved in the process related to the closure of the service points. He believes that the municipality and Ruter are "saving themselves money" when the service points are closed.
– Here in Norway, they are going the opposite way from what they have done in London. There, they have station service at every single station. I'm not saying we should have it here in Oslo, but we should have service at the stations close to the city center. It's an important service, says Afzal.
He believes that several important aspects have been overlooked in the assessment of the function of the service points.
– It's not just that they sit there. They have been able to help evacuate the station in situations where we don't have a supervisor or a guard present. We have also been able to use them to verify things. Let's say there has been a water leak in the area, then the service personnel have been able to be our eyes in the field. The same applies if there is a drug addict in the photo booth, then they have been able to call the guards. And we have a long list of such examples, he says.
According to Eivind Mathisen, it has been common for employees at the service points to provide on-site training in using the app. – That's great, but then the sale is registered as a sale in the app. The contribution from the employees at the service point is not captured. Once the decision to close was made, Mathisen believes that Sporveien has carried out a good process.
– I know that the LO association has had some major challenges, but for our part, Sporveien as an employer has acted very honestly. They have informed early, and the formalities have been in place. All YTF members in department 72 who were affected by the closure have now found other jobs in Sporveien. Three of them will become drivers, and one will become a ticket inspector. – Sporveien has taken its social responsibility, and they have tried to find jobs for everyone. They have also provided good information about the rights that employees have in terms of priority for other positions in Sporveien and the municipality, says Mathisen.
Cher Isabelle Sandman is one of the employees who has got a new job at Sporveien. After working at the service points and at the lost and found office since 2016, she will now become a subway driver. – I have received an offer and a new contract and will be on an aspirant course in the spring. It lasts 12–14 weeks, and then I will become a driver – as long as I pass the exam, says Sandman. She has long wanted to become a subway driver, but does not think that dream would have come true now if the closure had not forced her to try something new.
Just before Christmas, a majority of politicians in the Oslo City Council decided that the City Council should approach Ruter and Sporveien to discuss the possibility of establishing manned service points in Oslo through facilitated work. According to the decision, the establishment is to be a measure to reduce sick leave in the transport sector. The decision did not mean a stop order for the ongoing closure, but the City Council asked the City Council to provide a briefing on the matter during the second quarter.
If the service points were to open again, Cher Isabelle Sandman thinks that it would be better without her. – If I were to continue at the service points, they would have to say that it was protected against closure for 10 years. I think there is more future for me in finally becoming a subway driver.
