OSLO (AFP) - A four-month strike by Norway's offshore oil workers was set to end after their union announced they would return to work.
The announcement came one day after the Norwegian government said it intended to intervene in the conflict and impose arbitration on the two sides in order to prevent a total interruption of Norwegian oil production.
"OFS ... is suspending all of its strike calls against the Norwegian shipowners association," the union said. The NSA includes groups that serve the oil industry.
Offshore workers were expected to return to work as of midnight (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, OFS said.
Following the government's decision on Monday to intervene in the conflict, the strikers initially said they would continue their protest until the last minute, that is, until the imposed arbitration was set to begin under law after being adopted by parliament, probably next week.
On Monday evening the NSA lifted its lock-out threat, which risked cutting off all oil and gas production in the country, the third-largest oil exporter after Saudi Arabia and Russia, as of mid-November.
10/26/2004 - 11:45 GMT - AFP