Domestic violence put on the school curriculum (Dagsavisen)

The prevention of violence against women is to become part of the curriculum, which means teachers need to go back to school to learn about gender equality, according to Education Minister Kristin Clemet and Children and Family Affairs Minister Laila Dåvøy. A recent report from the EU concludes that teaching schoolchildren about equality of the sexes is one of the most important measures in the struggle to prevent assaults on women.

More non-skilled immigrants to be allowed in (Dagens Næringsliv)

The Government is planning to make it easier for immigrants to get work in Norway. From now on non-skilled workers will also be eligible for a work permit in this country. "We see that there is a need for more workers – regardless of skill level," said Local Government and Regional Affairs Minister Erna Solberg (Con). The Government has been saying for some time that it wants to attract more foreign job seekers to Norway. Some changes have already been implemented. Since 1 January it has been slightly easier for specialists to get a work permit.

No confidence in state pension scheme (Dagbladet)

People are losing confidence in the National Insurance Scheme’s ability to provide financial security in old age. As many as 64 per cent do not think the state pension will be sufficient to meet their financial needs, according to a survey carried out by Opinion on behalf of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO). 70 per cent of women do not think the state pension scheme will provide them with financial security. Faith in the National Insurance Scheme is significantly lower than just three years ago. "The most surprising thing to emerge from the survey is that faith in the National Insurance Scheme is so low, particularly among women. But that is probably because many women are on the minimum state pension," said LO president Gerd-Liv Valla.

62 local authorities blacklisted for second year running (Aftenposten/Sunday)

One year after it was created 62 local authorities are still on a central government blacklist. This means that they can be refused loans for schools or sports halls. When the blacklist was created in January 2001 it contained the names of 100 local authorities. The list is continuously updated and several local authorities have sorted out their financial situation to such an extent that they have been deleted from it. However, the names of other local authorities have been added over the past year.

Sky-high wage demands alarm experts (Dagbladet/Sunday)

Experts on employment conditions are forecasting an unusually turbulent round of wage negotiations this year. A number of large and powerful unions have already said their demands this year will be sky high. With a Conservative-dominated government in power there is little interest in wage moderation. The negotiations will be particularly difficult in the hospital sector. Following the Stoltenberg government’s reform, all the agreements on wages and working conditions in the hospital sector must be renegotiated.

Broken tax promises (Verdens Gang/Saturday)

A pile of unpaid bills is forcing the Conservative Party and the Government to break their promise of major new tax cuts next year. Despite the new rules which allow NOK 5-7 billion more of the revenues from the Government Petroleum Fund to be spent each year, the Government’s room for fulfilling its election promises and implementing key policies has shrunk to nothing. Government sources do not think it is possible to propose a budget for 2003 which does not include tax cuts, but implementing major new tax cuts next year is described as unrealistic.

Renewed confidence and bigger demands (Aftenposten)

One year after sex scandals and internal strife were laid to rest, the latest poll results have given the Progress Party renewed self-confidence. And the party is determined to squeeze as much as possible out of the Government before preparations for next year’s national budget get underway. The Progress Party is demanding an increase in defence spending, tax cuts for middle income families, increased spending on the elderly and on health, and an end to the practice of viewing Norway’s oil revenues as different to other government revenues.

Socialist Left Party aims to sweep Labour aside (Dagbladet/Saturday)

While the Labour Party is busy painting itself into an ever tighter political corner, Socialist Left Party chairman Kristin Halvorsen has spent the post-election period uniting her troops. "We aim to be the leading opposition party. Labour does not know what direction to take, while we have a clear vision. We will have the best policies when it comes to children and young people, education and the environment," she said.

Worth Noting

• The school medical service is not working. Youngsters struggling with sleep problems, stress and psychosocial complaints do not receive help. Some schools do not have any medical personnel on staff at all. (Aftenposten)
• Sexual harassment in the workplace is a widespread problem. One in twelve women managers have experienced sexual harassment during the past year. At greatest risk are women managers in male-dominated workplaces. (Dagsavisen/Saturday)
• Chief of Defence Staff, Lt.Gen. Sigurd Frisvold has rejected Admiral Einar Skorgen’s complaint that Nato is taking control of Norway’s defence forces. Lt.Gen. Frisvold called Admiral Skorgen’s description of the situation "misleading". (Aftenposten/Saturday)
• Incorrectly addressed letters and parcels cost the Postal Administration the tidy sum of NOK 300 million last year. This is partly due to the fact that the shops which have become sub-post offices use sorting machines. The figure corresponds to the Government’s entire share of the Postal Administration’s profits in 2001. (Nationen)
• Gerd-Liv Valla, president of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO), and Sigbjørn Johnsen, County Governor and former Finance Minister, are the hottest-tipped candidates to chair the Labour Party’s important selection committee. (Dagbladet/Sunday)
• Tagging is not a felony, according to criminologist Sturla Falck, who believes sentences for tagging are too high. Previously tagging was just a misdemeanour, now it has become a felony – without any change in the law. (Dagsavisen/Sunday)
• The Norwegian Foreign Ministry is currently making overtures to the authorities in all the EU’s member states to secure a place in the new EU-controlled police contingent in Bosnia. "If we don’t, we risk being left out," said Foreign Minister Jan Petersen. (Dagbladet/Saturday)
• While subsidies to the fishing industry have sunk to around zero, the sector has almost doubled the value of its exports over the past decade. At the same time Norwegian farmers receive NOK 20 billion in subsidies to produce food which could have been imported from abroad at less cost. (Dagens Næringsliv/Saturday)
• Farmers look set to raise their prices by the same amount as the average wage rise this spring. This could lead to bread and milk becoming more expensive. Despite the warnings of economists, the farmers are not happy with the prospect of increased prices – it is not enough. They want a lump-sum wage rise, not a percentage increase. (Dagsavisen)
• Interest in trainee positions is growing. Statoil received 2,000 applications for ten jobs. (Dagens Næringsliv)
• Torger Reve, vice-chancellor of the Norwegian School of Management (BI) and billionaire investor Kjell Inge Røkke have got their own way. Norway will get a mammoth new economics and business university at Nydalen in Oslo. Six of BI’s eight board members voted to relocate to the giant complex which Mr Røkke is to build. (Aftenposten/Saturday)

Today’s comment from Dagbladet

Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik is backing the Trade and Industry Minister and the Equal Opportunities Minister in their demands that women should be taken seriously when companies elect representatives to their governing bodies. This is excellent. The Government should definitely raise the flag on this issue and threaten to introduce quotas if necessary. But it is in the public sector that the Government can do something specific in the short term. As women gradually flood into public sector jobs and will soon dominate the majority of university courses, there should be a larger pool of women who are qualified to assume senior managerial positions wherever they may be. Unfortunately we believe ministers are presented with extremely conventional lists of candidates from their ministries when positions are to be filled. So they will have to acquire some knowledge of their own personnel and use their imaginations. But that is not something we expect from a new government.