STRIKE!

Bjarke Friborg /RV (the Red Electoral Alliance of Norway)

On May 3rd 82.000 workers in the *private* sector goes on a national strike. This is the biggest strike in Norway since the 1980es, and I think also since World War II. Maybe the LO (the National Workers' Confederation) will make it an all out strike this coming Monday. This would certainly be the biggest strike since 1945!

It is also a very popular strike (at least now, before it starts): We can see this because of the clear majority in favour of a no-vote to the negotiatons result. The result was of course backed by the top bureaucrats, but they definitely did not convince the rank and file. In the member's referendum there was more than 60% participation, and the result was an impressive 64% in favour of "no". This is a reaction not only against the last couple of months with lots of million-bonuses for the managing directors and owners ("golden parachutes" we call them...what is your word..."golden handshake" they say in Denmark...), but also against several years of moderation in the wage struggle.

Especially stockholders have been greedy and taken their profits, as much as 35 million norwegian kroner only in 1999 (equals £2.500.000). On top of it, it is the last negotiations with the present LO-chairperson Yngve Haagensen. He is retiring, but now he is retiring as the LO-chairperson who in the end did not continue to convince his own members of the need for continued solidarity with the capitalists.

The most highly-profiled person against the moderation line is the chairperson of the Transport Workers' Union: Per Østvold. He belongs to the left wing of the reformist Socialist Left Party ("Sosialistisk Venstreparti"), for example he opposed the war against Yugoslavia (in opposition to the SV leadership). The broad trade union opposition is now trying to convince him to stand up as candidate to the LO chairmanship after Haagensen.

The other most profiled persons are two other trade unionists, Torbjørn Kristoffersen and Egil Mongstad from Oslo. Kristoffersen is a well known member of the revolutionary Red Electoral Alliance (RV). I dont' know if Egil Mongstad is still a member of RV, but he certainly was some years ago. And he is certainly still known as a radical.

RV is now doing a campaign to convince workers to take over the strike from below, we cannot trust Haagensen and his companions. They are unwilling strike leaders, even though the massive "no" compels them to not selling out immediately. This means they have to make a show anyway, but we have to be on guard.

DEMANDS

There are many issues in this strike, to mention a few from the negotiations:

• 5 week holiday has been a promise for 19 years, and the result was that it should now be introduced gradually beginning from next year. But many workers are tired of waiting, and in Denmark in 1997 (or was it 1998?) there was a general strike for demanding 6 weeks of holiday.
• the result said that the tariff period would be extended from two to three years, meaning effectively taking power away from the rank and file.
• LO did not succeed to have the employers pay for an education reform, so that workers can upgrade their talents

PUBLIC SECTOR

We haven't yet seen the results of the negotiations in the public sector, but since last autumn especially the teachers' and nurses' unions have had a high profile and demanded substantial improvements. It even was an important issue in the September elections. This summer all the nurse students are also refusing to work in the hospitals, because they will not accept the bad working conditions and they want to show the desperate need for more nurses and more money to the health sector. Nurses and doctors are heavily overloaded with work, now they will show it to the world.

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