The Royal Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Oslo Press Division

Norway Daily No. 87/00

Date: 8 May 2000

STRIKE LIKELY TO ESCALATE (Dagsavisen)

The secretariat of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) meets today consider the further escalation of the strike. No groups of unions have taken all of their members out yet, so the LO can still expand its walkout in the food and food processing, transport and hotel industries. The labour pact covering 12,000 electricians and computer technicians expires on 15 May, so they could walk off the job, too.

UNION LEADER PROMOTES NEW DEFINITION OF STRIKEBREAKING (Dagsavisen)

Per Østvold, head of the Norwegian Union of Transport Workers, says the LO must not be intimidated by the threats of being sued after the strike is over. Mr. Østvold promotes a new concept of what constitutes strikebreaking, and on Monday his union will send a circular to its locals elaborating on what the union considers strikebreaking. For example, calling in a new transport firm during a strike is viewed by the union as strikebreaking. And management personnel who step in and perform work normally done by striking workers are also to be considered strikebreakers. Union spokesmen contend that is the responsibility of the labour unions to update the concept of strikebreaking. Judicial practice is based on Supreme Court rulings from the 1920s and 30s, in the view of the union.

IMPORTED BEER GAINS NEW POPULARITY (Dagsavisen)

Restaurants are now out of beer, a result of the nationwide strike augmented by warm weather in southern Norway. But private importers are doing a lively trade. Norwegians are now drinking expensive imported beer, mostly from Finland, with the blessings of striking workers and their unions. The consumers are not our target. But I do not think brewery owners like consumers drinking expensive, imported beer. This could put pressure on the brewery industry to get the Confederation of Norwegian Business and Industry (NHO) to resume negotiations, says Torbjørn Dahl, head of the Norwegian Union of Food and Allied Workers.

PREMIAIR ACTION AT GARDERMOEN MONDAY MORNING (NTB)

85 striking cabin personnel were in action at Gardermoen International Airport early Monday morning where a Premiair charter flight was scheduled to take off for Cyprus. Striking cabin personnel demonstrated their irritation over Premiair’s use of non-union employees to carry out the flight. Deputy cabin crew union leader Torbjørn Meland says holiday travellers have shown a great deal of sympathy for the strikers, expressing their agreement that 20-hour workdays and 45-hour work weeks are too long.

CONSERVATIVES VOTE TO SPLIT CHURCH AND STATE (Dagsavisen)

In an overwhelming vote taken at the Conservative national convention in Bergen yesterday, party members stated their support for the separation of Church and State. Less of a surprise was Jan Petersen’s re-election as party chairman for another two years, though the delegates have already started hunting for his successor. John Bernander, Kristin Clemet, Kristin Krohn Devold and Per Kristian Foss were among the names in circulation.

CHURCH-STATE DEBATE EXPECTED TO ESCALATE (Vårt Land)

Christian Democratic party chairman Valgerd Svarstad Haugland anticipates a more active debate on the future of the state church in response to the events of the Conservative national convention this weekend. Ms. Haugland shares Conservative concerns about Labour’s meddling with the Church of Norway. We see growing reactions to Labour’s inclination to intervene in Church affairs such as the appointment of bishops as well other matters, says Ms. Haugland.

CHURCH-STATE VOTE UNWISE (Vårt Land)

Trond Bakkevig, head of the Church panel studying relations between Church and State, says the motion passed at the Conservative national convention is very unwise. He believes everyone would be best served by withholding their conclusions until the panel presents its findings in another two years. Answers must be found to a number of complicated questions before a split between Church and State can be effected, says Mr. Bakkevig.

EMBASSY IN BERLIN TOPS BUDGET (NTB)

Construction of the new Norwegian embassy in Berlin looks set to overrun its budget by an estimated NOK 14 million, but this time, the Directorate of Public Construction and Property (Statsbygg) is not entirely to blame. According to Aftenposten, the Swedish government agency in charge of public property is responsible for the project, which is part of a joint Nordic complex. Not all the negotiations are finished with subcontractors, but at this point is looks as if Norway’s share of the project will cost NOK 73.6 million—17 per cent higher than its NOK 63.1 million budget. We are not happy about this at all, says Statbygg overseas operations director Morten Lie to Aftenposten.

TODAY’S COMMENT from Vårt Land

The vote at the Conservative national convention to separate Church and State has introduced an entirely new situation to the debate surrounding the institution of the state church. The Conservatives have arrived at the conclusion that a political party should have its own ideas on this issue independently of the Church’s views on the matter. The Conservative Party explains this by pointing to the Church’s autonomy on spiritual issues. Six years have passed since a similar motion was voted down by the Conservatives. We believe this change in opinion reflects what is happening in the rest of society as well. A growing number of people do not see why the civil authorities should have anything at all to do with the running of a religious organization. As we see it, the Norwegian Conservative Party has chosen to take the initiative this time and challenge the other political parties to follow. It will be interesting to see what this leads to within the Christian Democratic party, which is beginning to recognize the need to define its own church policy views independently of the official views of the Church of Norway at any given time. Even more interesting, though, will be to watch developments within the Labour Party, which at the moment seems to be the State Church’s most ardent defender.