Annual local wage negotiations

A fundamental principle for Forskerforbundet is that the salary level should reflect the members' competence, responsibility, and effort. On this page, you will find information on how you can influence your salary through annual salary negotiations at NTNU.

Annual local salary negotiations at NTNU

- 2.5.1 negotiations

Every autumn, local salary negotiations are conducted at NTNU. Here, a pot is negotiated and distributed among NTNU employees. The pot, also called the disposable framework, varies from year to year and determines how much can be distributed.

The financial framework for the settlement is determined in the central negotiations, led by the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development (KDD). Both the financial framework for the salary settlement and the overarching agreement are agreed upon there. On Forskerforbundet's website, you can read more about how this process takes place.

Salary settlement 2026

After overtime mediation, it became clear that Unio's collective agreement with the state will be continued and strengthened. After slippage and overhang are deducted, we are left with a disposable framework as of May 1st of approximately 2.7 percent. Read more about how the financial framework of 4.4 percent becomes 2.7 percent in our statement in Universitetsavisa.

The settlement goes to local negotiations and the entire pot will be distributed locally at NTNU, as has been done in previous years. The fact that the pot is negotiated locally does not mean that the general supplement is omitted, but that we at NTNU get to decide how the funds are distributed. This provides room for maneuver to give general supplements to all employees, group supplements to employee groups that are below, and individual supplements to reward responsibility, competence and effort, and to equalize unfair disparities.

How do the negotiations at NTNU take place?

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After the initial negotiations, we make an assessment of how the local salary settlement at NTNU is developing, and how the pot should be distributed.

If individual supplements are planned, we will invite you as a member to submit a salary claim, usually before the summer holidays. The salary claim is processed by the negotiation delegation in Forskerforbundet at NTNU and is not shared with the employer. Your arguments can nevertheless be used in the negotiations themselves.

Salary negotiations in October and November
The negotiation process begins with the parties creating a framework note that provides the local guidelines for the negotiations at NTNU. Preliminary discussions are then held with the units at the faculty level. The process concludes with final negotiations at level 1.

In the negotiation room, the negotiation delegation from Forskerforbundet NTNU sits together with the employer. Negotiations cover salary increases, adjustment of job codes for technical and administrative positions (scientific positions follow promotion schemes), individual, general supplements, group demands, and special agreements. The employer and the organizations are equal parties in the negotiations, which means that we must agree before a negotiation result can be presented.

When will I get the result?
After the negotiations are concluded, a blocking period is set while the result is quality assured. The employer usually informs about the result in November and any payment comes with the December salary.

In the event of a breakdown in the central negotiations, the timing of the salary negotiations at NTNU will be shifted.

How much of a pay increase can I demand?

- When you write a pay claim, you base it on the available framework in the local negotiations. On a general basis, we encourage you as a member to submit a demand that is somewhat above the framework.

Where can I find salary statistics?

- Relevant salary statistics are sent along with the pay claim form.

How do I argue for a higher salary?

- Base your arguments on NTNU's pay policy, attached salary statistics, and highlight your contributions and results. Be specific in your argumentation.

You are not expected to spend a lot of time submitting your salary claim; we only want a brief account of the work you have done during the year.

Who reads the pay claim?

- The negotiating delegation in Forskerforbundet at NTNU reads all submitted pay claims. The employer does not have access to these, but the negotiating delegation can use arguments from pay claims in negotiations with the employer.

Do I have to submit a pay claim every year?

- After the initial negotiations, we make an assessment of how the local settlement at NTNU is developing, and how the pot should be distributed.

If individual supplements are planned, we will inform you about this before the summer and invite you as a member to submit a pay claim. We work to ensure that our members have a steady salary development rather than giving high supplements to individual members.

What happens when the pot is negotiated locally?

- In recent years, the settlement has gone to local negotiations, and the entire pot is distributed locally at NTNU. The fact that the pot is negotiated locally does not mean that the general supplement is omitted, but that we at NTNU get to decide how the funds are distributed.

The funds can be distributed by giving:

  • general supplements to all employees at NTNU.
  • group supplements that provide salary adjustments for specific groups.
  • individual supplements based on an agreed salary policy and transparent criteria. Individual adjustments can be used to reward responsibility, competence, and effort, and to equalize unfair disparities.

In recent years, approximately half of the salary pot has been given as a general supplement, the rest has been distributed as group and individual supplements.

Does trade union affiliation affect my salary development?

- Your trade union negotiates salary on your behalf and is in negotiation with the employer on how the financial framework should be prioritized and distributed.

We believe the most important thing is that you are organized so that your interests are taken care of. At the same time, the choice of trade union is important for how salary funds are prioritized and distributed.

What is Forskerforbundet's salary policy?

- Forskerforbundet shall work to ensure that members have a salary level that reflects their education, competence, responsibility, and effort.
Link to Forskerforbundet's salary policy.

How is the framework for local salary negotiations set?

- The framework for local salary negotiations at NTNU is determined in central negotiations between the state, represented by the state's director of personnel, and the four main confederations: Unio, Akademikerne, LO, and YS.

Forskerforbundet is part of Unio, and we put forward our demands through the Unio system. It is Unio's negotiating committee that adopts the final demands, which then apply to all of Unio's member federations, including Forskerforbundet.

The central negotiations are based on the front-runner industry, which means that salary growth in the state should be in line with what competitive businesses can tolerate.