INTERNATIONAL LABOUR DAY CELEBRATIONS (Dagsavisen)

Almost 8000 people participated in the first of May celebrations at the Youngstorget square in Oslo, and even more joined in the parade. A great many people marched behind the banners marking opposition to the hospital reform. Aslak Sira Myhre, chairman of the Red Electoral Alliance, received the most enthusiastic applause after his speech yesterday. Thorbjørn Jagland, chairman of the Labour Party, was again called on to defend the highly criticized hospital reform.

CONSERVATIVES AND PROGRESS PARTY CRITICIZED (Aftenposten)

Yesterday Labour Party chairman Thorbjørn Jagland attacked Kjell Magne Bondevik’s government strategy. Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg also warned against a government dominated by the Conservatives and the Progress Party. In the view of Kjell Magne Bondevik, directing criticism to the Conservatives and Progress is a tactical move on the part of the Labour Party. "This is just an attempt to deflect attention from the centrist alternative," said Mr. Bondevik.

HÅGENSEN EXPRESSES HIS DISGUST (Dagbladet)

Yngve Hågensen, head of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO), gave a speech in which he expressed his disgust for the policies pursued by Mayor Terje Søviknes in Os. Mr. Søviknes himself stood at the back of the hall and smirked at Mr. Hågensen’s analysis of the problems facing the Progress Party-friendly town. In his last speech as head of the LO, Mr. Hågensen described the dangers he believes are threatening the working man and woman if the conservative parties in general, and the Progress Party in particular, gain even greater influence. "This is a desperate attempt to attack everything we have accomplished here in Os. And the attack is based on a superficial analysis made by the LO," answered Mr. Søviknes. He denied that the town’s economy was being managed poorly.

GREEDY BOSSES SHOULD BE FINED (Dagsavisen)

In the view of Norwegian Union of Transport Workers chairman Per Østvold, business leaders have been let off too easily. Now he is demanding that the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO), under the leadership of Gerd-Liv Valla, take a tougher stance against the Confederation of Norwegian Business and Industry (NHO) and greedy business bosses. Mr. Østvold has had enough of the leaders’ calling for moderation while, at the same time, filling their own pockets with huge wage supplements. "The LO must force the NHO to fine greedy bosses," said Mr. Østvold.

BOSSES AVOID NHO’S WAGE FINES (Dagens Næringsliv)

The Confederation of Norwegian Business and Industry (NHO) has often threatened to levy heavy fines on companies that grant their ordinary employees too generous wage supplements. But the NHO still refuses to consider penalizing companies that pay their bosses huge supplements. During the past few years, the wage increases enjoyed by top management in the largest companies have far exceeded those of ordinary members of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO). The LO has time and again demanded that the NHO and employers clean up their act.

GOVERNMENT WANTS TO SUPERVISE ROYAL EXPENDITURE (Dagbladet)

King Haakon agreed to assume the Norwegian throne in 1905. Since then, nobody has ever asked how the Royal Family uses its "wages". A new report concludes that the King should hand over an account of his expenditure to the Government. A working group appointed by the Ministry of Labour and Government Administration wants a written agreement between the Government and the King as to how his expenses are accounted for. "The current system is not satisfactory, and is in breach of rules laid down by the Storting," said Jørgen Kosmo, Minister of Labour and Government Administration.

NORSK HYDRO TO STAY ON COURSE (Dagens Næringsliv)

Today Eivind Reiten will take over as CEO of Norsk Hydro. Mr. Reiten, who is an economist, does not intend to introduce any major organizational changes or new strategies, but wants to modernize the company. He has been preparing for this process his entire working life. "We must improve confidence in the company, and strengthen our economic foundations. I have no plans to change the current structure of the company, but I do not approve of absolute truths or sacred cows that cannot be slaughtered," said Mr. Reiten.

WORTH NOTING

• When the Labour Party chairman led the parade after his speech at Youngstorget yesterday, protesters were ready with a nicely decorated cream cake in a cardboard box. The press corps, who had been notified in advance of the plans to throw it in his face, stood by to record the event for posterity. ( All papers)
• In several places throughout Norway, critics of the Labour Party have been kept from holding International Labour Day speeches. Torill Olsen of the Popular Revolution in Finnmark was omitted from the list of speakers after Labour was allowed to edit the list. ( Klassekampen)
• Kværner employee representative Rolf Utgård is asking the labour movement and politicians to join the struggle against Kjell Inge Røkke in the run-up to the general assembly at Kværner on Friday. ( Dagens Næringsliv)
• The magazine The Earth Times has named Norwegian Minister of the Environment Siri Bjerke and Minister of International Development Anne Kristin Sydnes as two of the planet’s 100 most influential people in the fields of environment and development in its annual list. ( Dagsavisen)
• The Directorate of Public Management believes that the Public Roads Administration must become more efficient. Competition for the operation, maintenance and construction of roads could save the government two billion kroner a year. At the same time, over 2,000 jobs could be made redundant. ( Dagens Næringsliv)
• High interest rates do not seem to be curbing the Norwegian economy to any great extent. Norwegians are borrowing more and more money, and the unemployment rate is going down. This is reducing the possibility of a cut in interest rates. ( Dagens Næringsliv)

TODAY'S COMMENT from Dagbladet

Just over four months before the general election, the debate on government alternatives is in full swing. In an interview with Dagbladet on Monday, Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg said that the election will be between the Labour Party and a Conservative government, with support from the Progress Party. The Conservatives and Christian Democrats cannot muster up a majority on their own, and will have to depend on the support of the Progress Party. Mr. Stoltenberg has already discounted the possibility of a centrist coalition. This will ensure a clear political division between the alternatives, and the election campaign can be based on the traditional separation between the political right and left. This also suits the Conservative strategy. It is quite possible that this pattern will prevail until election day. But it should be remembered that a large percentage of voters do not decide which party to vote for until just before election day. Even if the parties now claim that they will focus on issues in the election campaign, the question of which party will form the government is very important. It will mean a lot for the political course that the country will follow for the next four years. Therefore, the voters also need to know which alternatives the various parties are planning to go in for. For years the political fulcrum has been located at the political centre, alternating between the Labour Party and the centrist parties.