No dispensation for Dagsavisen (Klassekampen)

The Norwegian Newspaper Publishers’ Association (MBL), representing the employers in the on-going journalists’ strike, has refused to give Dagsavisen dispensation from the strike in order to keep publishing. They also turned down a similar request from Dagens Næringsliv. The employers are taking a tough line and are refusing to allow Dagsavisen’s journalists to return to work even though the Norwegian Union of Journalists has decided to exempt the paper from the current strike action. "All applications for dispensation from the strike have cited financial difficulties as the reason. But the journalists’ whole objective in taking strike action is to hit the employers financially in order to force them to accept their demands. The whole point of an industrial dispute is to damage the companies’ financial position," said Olav Bergo of the MBL.

LO demands publication stop by A-pressen (NTB)

In a letter to Olav Njaastad, leader of the Norwegian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Gerd-Liv Valla, president of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) says that newspapers which are being affected by lawful strike action should cease publication. The letter is in response to the NUJ’s request for LO support in connection with the strike. The journalists are angry because newspapers belonging to the A-pressen group have continued to come out, with the copy written by the editors. In the letter Ms Valla also warns that the issue will be raised with the LO’s representatives on A-pressen’s board of directors. Historically A-pressen has strong ties to the trade union movement.

Warning over wage bonanza (Dagsavisen)

A record strong krone and hefty wage rises are putting many Norwegian jobs in danger, according to Ådne Cappelen, head of Statistics Norway. Traditional manufacturing and export industries are most at risk. "Norway’s economic outlook is extremely uncertain," said Mr Cappelen. This year’s round of wage negotiations is almost complete, and the overall result is clear. Wages will rise by around 5.5 per cent – a little higher in the public sector, and a little lower in the private sector. At the same time the inflation rate will be extremely low, probably no more than one per cent. Among other things this is due to the halving of VAT on food items, ‘normal’ electricity prices and cuts in indirect taxes from 1 January. This means that the real rise in wages could be a little over four per cent this year. "The situation is very uncertain. It is worrying that the unusually large real rise in wages is not being matched by a more or less corresponding rise in industrial productivity," said Mr Cappelen.

Regional protest groups plan joint action against government (Nationen)

The various regional protest groups and local councils in outlying districts have decided to join forces to form a common front against the Government. "We have had enough. It just cannot go on like this," said Gunn Berit Gjerde (Lib), mayor of Hareid in the west of Norway. Last week a number of mayors, the leaders of various regional protest groups and the Action for the Welfare State gathered at Værnes in Stjørdal. The aim of the meeting was to unite the various forces to create a common front against the Government. By the time the meeting had ended they had set up an action committee and decided that the Action for the Welfare State’s offices in Oslo should act as a secretariat for the movement.

Bondevik poised for agreement with Progress Party (Vårt Land)

More patients will receive hospital treatment and company cars will not be quite so severely taxed. The Progress Party and the governing coalition are poised to reach agreement on the revised national budget, and these are the most important changes. The Bondevik government expected to have to do without a budget agreement this spring, after it was forced to demand a vote of confidence to push through its budget last autumn. But the Progress Party has proved to be more conciliatory this time around, and yesterday afternoon all the signs pointed to an agreement being reached between the Government and the Progress Party. What remained to be decided was where the cuts would come to finance the deal.

State Secretary sacrificed (Dagsavisen)

The political pressure had become too much for State Secretary Solveig Strand at the Fisheries Ministry. Yesterday she decided to throw in the towel. Fisheries Minister Svein Ludvigsen must therefore find himself a new State Secretary. In response to revelations that Ms Strand was part owner of a fishing boat which had been arrested for failing to declare part of its catch, MPs from the Labour Party, Socialist Left Party, Centre Party and Progress Party – representing a parliamentary majority – had all expressed their lack of confidence in the political leadership of the Fisheries Ministry. This left Svein Ludvigsen with just two choices – either to resign himself or sack his State Secretary. In a press release issued by Ms Strand, she writes, "I am resigning as State Secretary because I do not want anyone to be able to cast doubts on the integrity of the Fisheries Minister or the Ministry itself on these important issues."

Legal experts: Jury system undermined (dagbladet.no)

In a letter to the public prosecutors, Arill Bråthen, who was chairman of the jury during the Orderud triple murder trial, yesterday revealed his own theory about what may have happened during the case. Legal experts now believe that Mr Bråthen’s move could lead to major changes in the jury system. In the letter Mr Bråthen professes his belief that the magazine which was in the murder weapon may have been planted in Lars Grønnerød’s flat. He later followed up his theory in comments made to NRK. "I wrote the letter because I had a different understanding of what had happened to the magazine and pistol, which were important pieces of evidence, than the theory which came out in court," said Mr Bråthen. The Norwegian Bar Association has reacted strongly to Mr Bråthen’s revelations, which it describes as ‘problematic’. "That a jury member should subsequently comment on the results of a trial is incompatible with the jury system," says the Norwegian Bar Association.

Worth Noting

• Dagsavisen’s application for dispensation from the journalists’ strike was turned down yesterday by the Norwegian Newspaper Publishers’ Association (MBL). Dagsavisen must therefore continue to come out in a reduced form, produced by the newspaper’s editors. (Dagsavisen)
• Arill Bråthen, who was chairman of the jury at the Orderud triple murder trial, wants the case reopened. He believes an important piece of evidence was planted at Lars Grønnerød’s flat, and claims Per and Veronica Orderud were behind the scheme. Lars Grønnerød and Kristin Kirkemo Haukeland do not bear as much responsibility for the crimes as the verdict stipulates. (vg.no)
• The housing queue is getting longer and longer, and prices are rising. However, it now seems as though the pace of house-building is finally picking up speed. According to an analysis carried out by Prognosesenteret, a market research company focusing on the real estate and housebuilding industries, this year will end in growth. (Nettavisen)
• Carl I. Hagen and the Progress Party are back on top as the country’s undisputed largest party. The governing coalition parties, the Christian Democrats and the Conservatives, have suffered the biggest slide in support, according to the June poll carried out by Norsk Gallup on behalf of TV2 and Verdens Gang. (vg.no)
• Six out of ten Norwegians think the Government’s regional policy is inadequate, according to a recent poll carried out by Sentio-Norsk Statistikk for Nationen. "We have challenged accepted wisdom and it is natural that many people are sceptical at the start," said Local Government and Regional Affairs Minister Erna Solberg (Con). (Nationen)