The European Tribune is a forum for thoughtful dialogue of European and international issues. You are invited to post comments and your own articles.
Please REGISTER to post.
Norwegian labour leaders and employers' representatives fundamentally disagree over whether a 5.2 percent wage increase would have given workers the "real pay growth" they sought. Reports last week of a surprising jump in the current inflation rate, to 6.5 percent, didn't help, but it's arguably the double-digit increases in top management compensation that prompted trade union federations to break off talks and call 25,000 workers all over the country out on strike this week in a wide variety of sectors. [...] The battle between management and workers flared on state broadcaster NRK's popular morning radio program Politisk kvarter, with labour leader Jørn Eggum of Fellesforbundet blasting the "bonus bonanza" enjoyed by executives at many of Norway's highly profitable companies, and industrial employers' leader Stein Lier-Hansen of Norsk Industri suggesting the labour leaders are just seeking "revenge." At issue, though, is how executives routinely receive huge bonuses tied to profits on top of multi-million-kroner salaries, a practice that resulted in total compensation increases as high as 20 percent of even more last year. Workers, meanwhile, haven't seen real wage growth for the past two years, longer in many sectors. Their purchasing power has declined, and labour leaders think it's time for that to stop. [...]
by Frank Schnittger - Feb 10
by gmoke - Feb 13
by Frank Schnittger - Feb 6 5 comments
by Frank Schnittger - Jan 28 15 comments
by Frank Schnittger - Jan 24 13 comments
by Frank Schnittger - Jan 31 3 comments
by gmoke - Jan 29
by Oui - Jan 21 7 comments
by Oui - Feb 17
by Oui - Feb 163 comments
by Frank Schnittger - Feb 16
by Oui - Feb 168 comments
by Oui - Feb 15
by Oui - Feb 143 comments
by Oui - Feb 144 comments
by Oui - Feb 132 comments
by Oui - Feb 134 comments
by Oui - Feb 126 comments
by Oui - Feb 113 comments
by Oui - Feb 11
by Oui - Feb 9
by Oui - Feb 7
by Frank Schnittger - Feb 65 comments
by Oui - Feb 59 comments