Dear Arno,
I understand that there is a gdneral
strike in Norway over high salaries
and the culture of greed. Is this
true?
Michael
Dear Michael,
the situation here is that almost
everybody here are shocked and dead angry about certain principles of the
"new" economy. A poster at a march yesterday "one broker is one too much".
Captains of industry, virtual or not, have been giving themselves enormous
(from a Norwegain standpoint) payouts in the shape of salaries, option
agreements and parachutes while at the same time doing relatively poor jobs
(which is why they "need" parachutes, for instance the extra costs of one oil
platform, Aasgard, of $ 2,2 billions). The national economy is booming
and unemployment is very minor, although there is some hidden unemployment in
the shape of social security/"handicap pensions" etc.
At the same time they have been preaching
moderation to the unions who have listened and agreed. Until recently. The
press announcents of the parachutes immedeately before the national
renegotionations of wages set off a fire. Even though unions bosses accepted
the result of negotions, an obligatory general vote on the result turned it
down by 64,5 % and practically EVERYBODY regardless of occupation or political
creed have agreed VERY much on the need to set an example. No noe can remember
such a uninimous national mood. The employers and their union have really made
fools of themselves by making sure that nobody will take their pleas for
moderation seriously for a long time to come.
On the other hand few expect the strike to
do much good about the problem that all find to be most serious, "but what can
we do? Strike is the only weapon available". Union leaders are getting a
stronger opposition every day because of the coopertive mood of their
leaders.
The reason for this strong reaction is
also the national phsyche of the Norwegians. Equality (and strong-headed
individualism) is a much praised good here, especially on the Western coast,
and as on Iceland I presume. Quite interesting the West coast is also the
least socialist-minded area. Nobility for instance (+Jews and Jesuits, this
clause removed 1831), has been illegal since the Constitution of 1814, and we
have had no true nobility ever, and especially not after the Black Plague
(1347 and 1361) wiped them out. The Danish and Swedish nobles we had here
during the unions with those coountries, have not been much liked to say the
least. Salaries is another indication of the love for egalitarianism: The
busdriver I talked to today eared $ 35.000 a year and all university
professors, regardless of kind, earn 45.000. Civil Engineers earn around
35.000 too. Average industrial wage is 30.000, average wage some 25.000 (low
income groups are hotel, restaurant, shops, cleaning).
The pay rise among leaders in 1999 was
16,5 %. Organised labour got 1 %. The original offer now was 8 cents an hour
(ca. 0.7 %, 3 year agreement period) The renegotioted offer was 1,5%, 2 year
period, a fifth vacation week and more "after education" (increased competence). The national
union leader si a VERY skilled performer, swears a lot on TV and is much liked
for his "artistic" abilities. He said today that he HAD woken up after
noticing that the union rank and file slammed the door in his face, ("I am a
bit slowminded, but even I have limits here"). Work started today but the
result of the new negotiation also has to be accepted byt rank and file
through a national vote.
The Norwegian car-parts industry (for BMW,
Volvo, SAAB, etc) operates with just in time delivery and the car companies in
Sweden had to close yesterday. There were threats to find other suppliers.
Therefore, workers voluntarily showed up at the factory gates at 04.00 am this
morning in order to start work....
Here is the internet news in English from
our largest serious newspaper: