The Norwegian Union of Social Workers would like to extend their thanks and honours to all social workers that are working during this pandemic. You all make tremendous contributions, and the help social workers are giving during this crisis is essential.
Here you can read a statement from the Norwegian Union of Social Workers thanking our members: https://www.fo.no/uttalelser-fra-landsstyret/helse-og-sosialarbeidere-star-opp-for-trygghet-i-krisetid-article7478-1325.html.
Since the start of the COVID-19 crisis the Norwegian labour unions, the employers and government have been working close together in finding good solutions concerning help and aid to affected areas like the corporate business and welfare sector. This has been crucial for making good plans. It shows that the Nordic tripartite cooperation model is a good model also in times of crisis.
One of the things The Norwegian Union of Social Workers had to work for, was to get social workers in the social services sector to be recognized as a necessary profession. This means that they for instance get school and kindergarten for their children since all regular schools and kindergartens are closed.
The Norwegian Union of Social workers has over 30.000 members, and information to them has been very important to us. It’s important to have correct information available, and therefore we have an extensively amount of publications on our webpage: www.fo.no/korona.
In Norway we have shown solidarity during the corona crisis, but we mean that this solidarity should also extend beyond national borders. We are concerned about the situation of refugees. It is disastrous and has been for a long time. FO have made a statement that Norway should take our share of the European responsibility by welcoming more refugees. The situation in refugee camps like the one in Moira is already catastrophic, and it will be even worse if the coronavirus gets it hold there. We urge our sister-organizations in Europe to do the same. Read the statement here: https://www.fo.no/uttalelser-fra-landsstyret/evakuer-barna-i-moria-leiren-na-article7479-1325.html.