NHO calls for small local wage rises (Dagsavisen)

The Confederation of Norwegian Business and Industry (NHO) is afraid that a combination of increased public spending, a record strong krone and hefty wage rises could break the back of Norwegian companies facing international competition. For this reason the NHO is calling for locally negotiated wage rises to be kept small. Like Ådne Cappelen, head of Statistics Norway, Olav Magnussen of the NHO is worried about the effects of a record strong krone combined with the extremely high real rise in wages after this year’s national wage negotiations. However, Mr Magnussen refused to indicate a figure beyond which local pay settlements should not go.

Foss fears interest rate rise (nrk.no)

Finance Minister Per-Kristian Foss is worried that the generous pay rises awarded this year could lead to both higher interest rates and increased unemployment. The Confederation of Norwegian Business and Industry (NHO) is also concerned about the consequences of this year’s round of national wage negotiations, and has called for restraint in forthcoming local bargaining sessions. Svein Gjedrem, Governor of the Norwegian Central Bank, has already said that interest rates could go up if the overall rise in wages exceeds 5 per cent. Mr Foss told NRK that it is up to employers and employees alike to keep within this limit – and so avoid a rise in interest rates.

Hospitals to get NOK 350 million extra (NTB)

The governing coalition parties and the Progress Party reached agreement on Tuesday night on the revised national budget. The compromise deal means the hospital sector will receive an additional NOK 350 million. The deal stays within the framework of the Government’s original budget proposal, since the parties have agreed to cut in some sectors what they add in others. A total of NOK 620 million has been reallocated. In all the health sector receives an added NOK 375 million, while the judiciary is strengthened with a NOK 44 million cash boost. NOK 23 million extra will also be channelled into education. The governing parties refused to accept any cuts in company car taxation, but the cut in the mileage rate, which came into effect in January, has been reversed.

USA critical of ‘too ambitious’ Norwegian climate policy (nrk.no)

The USA feels that the climate policy pursued by the Norwegian government and Environment Minister Børge Brende is far too ambitious. The US administration has therefore summoned Norway’s Ambassador in Washington, Knut Vollebæk, for talks. "This is a perfectly normal diplomatic process," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Karsten Klepsvik. "As part of the effort to create binding international agreements, it is usual to have talks at this level," he added. Environment Minister Børge Brende underlines that this move will not dampen Norway’s active participation in the push to achieve an proper agreement on climate change. "We are working hard to persuade more countries to follow our line on environmental policy, and we are extremely disappointed that the USA has chosen to withdraw from the whole process," he said.

Valla under fire from newspaper editors (NTB)

The Association of Norwegian Editors has expressed alarm over the fact that Gerd-Liv Valla, president of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) wants to stop the publication of newspapers which have continued to appear despite the journalists’ strike. The union leader has said she thinks newspapers which have been hit by a lawful strike should cease publishing, and warned on Monday evening that she would raise the matter with the LO’s representatives on the A-pressen group’s board of directors. In a letter to Ms Valla, the Association of Norwegian Editors accused the LO president of going against the general consensus on the role of the press in society. In their opinion it is the duty of newspaper editors to safeguard free speech – also at times when journalists are on strike.

Closer to a solution (Vårt Land)

A broad-based compromise agreement on pre-school day care came a big step closer yesterday, but is unlikely to be completely finalized until next week. Yesterday, the Labour Party, Socialist Left Party and the Progress Party received the offer from the Government which they had been waiting for, and decided it was good enough for negotiations to continue. The Government feels it is a good sign that negotiations did not break down yesterday. The Government is still not prepared to accept the opposition’s demand for a cap on fees, and the two sides still disagree over how quickly new nursery places should be built.

Worth Noting

• For the first time in several years the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) has seen a rise in membership numbers. But even though the negative trend has been reversed, the country’s largest trade union organization is still struggling to attract young people, those with a university education, and people working in the service sector. (Dagsavisen)
• The Storting’s Transport Committee voted on Tuesday to approve government proposals for a penalty points system for motorists, under which drivers would automatically lose their licences once they had totted up eight penalty points. Serious driving offences will incur a two-point penalty, while minor offences rate one point. Drivers who collect more than eight points in a three-year period will lose their licences. (Nettavisen)
• An additional NOK 15 million will be allocated for the deportation of bogus asylum seekers as part of the revised national budget agreement between the governing coalition parties and the Progress Party. (nrk.no)
• Last autumn 40,000 children from linguistic minority groups were registered in Norwegian primary and lower secondary schools. Native-language tuition is given in more than 100 different languages. (Nationen)
• The proportion of women on the boards of directors of Norway’s major companies has risen from 25 to 33.4 per cent during the past year. Gender Equality Ombud Kristin Mille gives the Bondevik government much of the credit for this improvement. (Nettavisen)

The Swedish crime writer, Henning Mankell, has bought NOK 50,000 worth of shares in Klassekampen, the left-wing daily newspaper. Mankell was living in exile in Norway when Klassekampen was launched in 1977. He read the paper, contributed articles and was on hand when it was sold on the street to a passer-by. (Klassekampen)

Today’s comment from Vårt Land

The jury system is under pressure, and not surprisingly its opponents feel their views have been vindicated following recent claims by Arill Bråthen, who was chairman of the jury during the Orderud appeal hearing, that Per and Veronica Orderud had planted important evidence in the flat of fellow defendant, Lars Grønnerød. Mr Bråthen’s letter to the National Bureau of Crime Investigation provoked strong reactions when it became public on Monday, and it could have major repercussions on the future of the jury system and the Orderud case itself. When the chairman of the jury publicly casts doubts on the validity of the verdicts in the Orderud case, he is also making it more difficult to defend a system in which the jury’s reasons for handing down a guilty or a not-guilty verdict are kept secret. Regardless of whether Mr Bråthen, in this particular case, deserves praise for his honesty or censure for having publicly aired his own personal theories, his actions will result in a new debate on the future of the jury system.