Globalisation and maritime labour in Norway after the Second World War

Abstract

This article looks at how ‘Globalisation’ – narrowly defined as the causes and effects of increased international economic integration – has influenced the demand for and supply of maritime products and services, with a particular emphasis on maritime labour. A central argument is that the manner in which labour has been affected varies enormously among the maritime industries, and there is also variation among different occupations and countries. Today, the Norwegian maritime industries have found ‘a new equilibrium’, where old and national traditions have successfully merged with the new and global realities. The article is structured around six propositions about the relationship between globalisation and Norwegian maritime labour, and these propositions are discussed and linked to empirical data.