Ed,
You make a good point which reminded me of our own example of the same
phenomenon: Alberta. What often passes for good management in that province is
actually a whole lot of oil and natural gas in the ground.
In the case of Norway, it seems to me that they are on the right track. It is
often said that the best use of non-renewable resources is for the development
of renewable resources. Norway's most important renewable resource is its its
people and investment in that resource is the very best use that could be made
of its revenues from the North Sea. Compare that with Canada's 10 year record of
what I would call disinvesting in people.
As always, it is mentally challenging to talk to you.
Rudy Rogalsky
Ed Weick wrote:
> It is interesting what a country with rich revenue flows from North Sea oil
> can do. Canada was once a place like this, and parts of it may still be.
> But does it make one "neo-con" to recognize that there are limitations?
> Will Norway be able to do these kinds of things when the oil has run out, as
> it surely will one day? Would it have been able to do the same thing if the
> economy were based on fish, tourism, limited agriculture and small-scale
> manufacturing?
>
> Ed Weick
>
> >
> >Thanks for such an interesting post. Someone has to set a standard that is
> >different than the neo-con philosophy of trashing every poor person in the
> >country and I'm glad to see your government is making the attempt. What is
> >especially interesting is that it comes after a neo-con government of
> >Broderlund (spelling?) which gives hope that when this madness of
> >corporatism has run its course other options of a more humanitarian kind
> >will surface again.
> >
> >Respectfully,
> >
> >Thomas Lunde
> >-Original Message-
> >From: Tor Forde <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >Date: March 28, 1998 5:19 AM
> >Subject: Agreement.
> >
> >
> >
> >This week an agreement was reached between the Norwegian
> >Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) and the employers' federation
> >(NHO) about the right to have education as part of work.
> >
> >Every working person shall be included in this arrangement, and both
> >parts in the agreement say the agreement should be a part of the
> >Norwegian laws.
> >
> >When a person has been working at least two years in a
> >company/institution etc. he/she has the right to one year of
> >education. And if the education lasts not more than one year he/she
> >has the right to return to the same position as they left.
> >The relation between work and education is 2:1, that is every two
> >years of work give the right to one year of education, or every year
> >gives a half year education. Nobody has right to more than one leave
> >for education per year, and nobody is entitled to more than three
> >years of education in a stretch.
> >The education should be related to occupational/working life. A
> >worker shall tell his employer that he is going for education at
> >least three months before he leaves. Keypersonell that it is
> >difficult to find a substitute for may wait untill a substitute is
> >found.
> >
> >And now begins the work to fund this arrangement. The goal is that
> >persons should be able to leave with pay.
> >Today the unemployment rate in Norway is very low, less that 3%, so
> >it might be the right time to start to fund this arrangement.
> >
> >The agreement is published on the web on URL::http://www.lo.no/ in
> >Norwegian.
> >
> >Tor Forde
> >
> >
> >Tor Forde
> >
> >
