Why it's worth being a member of Forskerforbundet

The value of a union membership can’t just be measured in pounds and pennies. Not only do you contribute to strengthening those who negotiate on your behalf with the state and employers, but you also have the security of having an entire union supporting you in your daily work life.

Additionally, membership in Forskerforbundet can pay off significantly in other ways too. We’ve asked four members what they appreciate most about their membership.

We ensure better salary for knowledge workers

“It was coincidental that I joined Forskerforbundet. But 17 years later, I’m still a member—and I have no plans of switching unions,” says Gunnar Furseth Klinge, a senior advisor at the Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences (Høgskolen i Innlandet).

He is one of more than 25,000 employees and students within research, higher education, and knowledge dissemination who are organised in Forskerforbundet. As members, they receive help with salary negotiations, favourable terms in banking and insurance—and many other benefits.

“I’ve definitely had better salary development because I’ve had skilled union representatives negotiating on my behalf. Additionally, I’ve gotten to know colleagues from across the country and built important professional networks,” says Furseth Klinge.

It pays to be unionised—even in highly paid professions. Research from the Institute for Social Research (Institutt for samfunnsforskning) has shown, for instance, that unionised professors earn on average seven percent more than their non-unionized colleagues, according to an article in Forskerforum. The same study found that professors who leave the union lose ten percent in salary growth over eight years.

Save money on banking and insurance 

“Thanks to my Forskerforbundet membership I get much better insurance. It is cheaper than anything I would get privately, and also covers much more, such as the electric bike I use to commute to work,” says Zlata Turkanovic, a senior advisor at the Research Council of Norway (Forskningsrådet).

As a member of Forskerforbundet, you get the market's best insurance rates, through our own insurance office. Our price comparisons show that in many cases, our membership rates are well below half the market price for equivalent insurance (average of 4 providers).

Forskerforbundet members also have access to excellent banking and mortgage offers through Unio. The consumer service Renteradar examined the average mortgage rates for 2023 for the largest unions in Norway, and found that Nordea’s agreements with Unio, YS, and Econa came out on top.

There are also other benefits that make membership worthwhile—from tax deductions on membership fees to discounts on electric vehicles and online fitness classes. You can read more about our membership benefits here.

In a calculation we obtained from Nordea, a hypothetical customer with a membership deal and a mortgage of 4 million NOK would save over 17,000 NOK a year compared to a regular customer (mortgage within 60% with 25-year repayment). In today’s interest rate market, bank rates can change from month to month or week to week, but the agreement ensures that the terms over time will remain among the best in the market.

Our lawyers and union representatives have your back

“As a Ph.D. candidate, I’m at the bottom of the hierarchy in academia and it can put you in difficult situations. In temporary positions you can easily be exploited, and have to accept almost anything,” says Marie Røhme Aunemo, a Ph.D. candidate at OsloMet.

As a member of Forskerforbundet, you are entitled to legal assistance in employment matters. Our lawyers and union representative will be there for you, should the day come where you need it.

“I feel well taken care of by Forskerforbundet. And if difficult situations arise in the workplace, I know they will take me seriously. Having the union backing me gives me a great sense of security,” says Røhme Aunemo.

We advocate for knowledge workers 

Anna Teresa Barbosa Da Silva is the chief librarian at the Norwegian Defence University College (Forsvarets høgskole).

As a member of Forskerforbundet, she benefits from the union’s efforts to foster solidarity, competence, and networks among knowledge workers, such as a variety of courses—as well as its political advocacy on behalf of its members.

“There are many membership benefits. I participated in a course on how to write salary demands, which was very useful. And Forskerforbundet helped with our salary negotiations recently. We came out on top!”

Are you a member of Forskerforbundet and do you know a colleague who should become a member? Recruit a colleague today and get a gift card as a referral bonus. The bonus is NOK 500 for each new member you recruit. Read more about recruiting to Forskerforbundet.

* Please note that the bonus can only be collected by recruiting regular members (full or part time employees), not student members *