Røkke to stop the rot in USA (Dagens Næringsliv)

Kjell Inge Røkke is to travel to the USA to sort out two of Kværner’s biggest headaches, the shipyard in Philadelphia and the company’s investment in the Sea Launch rocket launching business. And he is not coming back until the problems are solved. Mr Røkke yesterday promised investors that all those Kværner subsidiaries which cannot be turned around to show a profit will be wound up in a responsible manner. Kværner’s new board of directors is due to be announced today.

Labour Party bosses told to shut up and work (Dagbladet)

Eva Kristin Hansen, leader of the Labour Party’s youth wing, AUF, has called on Thorbjørn Jagland and Jens Stoltenberg to drop all discussion concerning the leadership issue. "What we need now are better policies, not a debate about personalities. We did not lose the election because of Jagland or Stoltenberg, the problem lay in the issues and the fact that we had an organization which did not work. Everyone in the party must get their act together. We have to talk to each other, not against each other," said Ms Hansen.

Saved by Hagen and Progress Party (Dagsavisen)

The Bondevik government lives on, courtesy of the Progress Party. Yesterday the Progress Party backed down and secured the financial framework for next year’s national budget. Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik was forced to lay his government’s life on the line to secure the necessary votes in the Storting. At the start of the session yesterday evening Progress Party chairman Carl I. Hagen made it clear that the party "under duress would vote for something the Progress Party is against". Mr Hagen said that the country cannot be governed by means of frequent votes of confidence in the Government. Kjell Magne Bondevik refutes the claim that the Government has been weakened, despite the fact that he had to threaten to resign before his budget proposal for 2002 was approved by the Storting.

Made ill by criticism at work (Dagsavisen)

A quarter of Norwegian employees are made so ill by criticism and censure at work that they stay off at least once a month. No other ‘illness’ lays so many people so low as loudly critical bosses or co-workers, according to a recent survey of living conditions carried out by the Central Bureau of Statistics among 2,523 employees between the ages of 16 and 66. 27 per cent of those questioned said that criticism and censure were the reason that they choose to stay home one or more days a month. Women have the longest illness-related absences. 21 per cent of the women surveyed have taken more than 14 days sick leave during the course of the year, while 13 per cent of the men had done so.

Worth Noting

• Kjell Inge Røkke’s long-time assistant, John Inge Valand, has been charged with bribing a Swedish maritime inspector when Mr Røkke received his Swedish coastal skipper’s licence. Mr Valand was called to appear before the Asker and Bærum Magistrate’s Court, but refused to make a statement. (Verdens Gang)
• In just six years Kjell Inge Røkke has grown to be the biggest industrialist in Norwegian history. After his victory in the battle for Kværner, Mr Røkke now controls companies with 54,000 employees on their payroll. (Dagbladet)
• Kværner’s senior trade union representative, Rolf Utgård, has been at war with Kjell Inge Røkke for years. A further clash was expected when the two men met yesterday, but they had buried the hatchet. (Verdens Gang)
• Kjell Inge Røkke was smiling from ear to ear yesterday as he emerged triumphant from the battle for Kværner. The other parties involved threw in the towel when they realized that Mr Røkke was willing to let the company go bankrupt. Senior trade union representative Rolf Utgård fears job losses when Aker Maritime and Kværner are merged. (Klassekampen)
• Results of preliminary DNA test ready: Police investigators will today ask for the 23-year-old charged with the murder of Tina Jørgensen to be remanded in custody for a further eight weeks. They will present forensic evidence which they believe links Ms Jørgensen’s boyfriend to the killing. (Dagbladet)
• The data security firm, Linux Communications, has tested security at 11 Norwegian internet banks – and claim that only two of them can be considered secure. Computer fraudsters can both keep track of individual accounts and manipulate money transfers over the internet. (Dagbladet)

Today’s comment from Dagens Næringsliv

Aker RGI’s owner, Kjell Inge Røkke, has fought hard, played for high stakes and won the battle for Kværner. He has stuck to his proposed solution, a merger between Aker Maritime and Kværner’s offshore business, since he first acquired a major stake in Kværner last July. Just three or four weeks ago it looked as though he had lost the game to the Russian oil company, Yukos Oil and its shareholders. But Mr Røkke refused to fold. Instead he upped the ante and played his hand in ruthless pursuit of his own interests. There is every reason to congratulate him on his victory.