By a commentator for the Earn Folket Media.
Last Friday, the Technical Calculation Committee posted figures on how last year's wage settlement went. They conclude that last year Norwegians received a reduction in real wages of 0.4 per cent. LO leader Peggy Hessen Folvsik tells NRK that TBU's report makes it possible for this year's wage settlement to be "more spacious" than last year's.
Støre expresses that he "understands" that people expect increased purchasing power, and that he thinks there is hope - but not for everyone. It is the parties that have great responsibility, says Støre, but of course it is not the workers themselves who are at the negotiating table. The negotiations go between the bourgeoisie parties, while their "representatives" in LO "deals on their behalf".
- We talked about how the economic outlook is, that there is hope that we will see prices and interest rates on the way down, that there is hope that we can increase the purchasing power of people, says Støre.
When asked if he sees a risk that we enter a payroll and price spiral, he continues:
- It is in the interest of Ingen. I think the parties in the working life are aware of their responsibilities, and the front -line model has built -in qualities that can secure us against it.
Finance Minister Trygve Slagsvold Vedum votes in and agrees with Støre's assessments.
- We are in a better place when we were last year. It is also the Ministry of Finance's professional assessment that price growth is on the way down and that we have the highest price top behind us, says Vedum pleased.
NHO's CEO Ole Erik Almlid points out that not everything still goes as greased, and that the construction industry in particular is struggling in particular.
- I think it is important that there is a balance between expectations you have on both sides. We are committed to showing that there are also companies that are struggling, for example in construction. They must also be taken into account, he says.
LO leader Peggy Hessen Feelsvik believes that there are good opportunities for employees to have real wage growth this year. However, last year, prices raised "wage growth" does not prevent the LO leader from referring to last year's settlement as good and fronts the same optimism as Støre and Vedum.
- That said, they made a good settlement last year, and then it turned out that price growth took us again. We will make sure that employees get their share of value creation, she says.
While the LO leader himself can mix with an annual salary of NOK 2 million, ordinary people are still waiting for it to be their turn this year as well.
References:
https://www.dagsavisen.no/nyheter/innenriks/2024/02/12/store-om-lonnsoppgjoret-forstar-at-folk-venter-okt-kjopekraft/
https://www.nrk.no/nyheter/lonnsoppgjoret-2024-1.16766261