LO will choose a new leader at Congress next week. Everything was ready for the Joint Federation’s Jørn Eggum as a new leader, but on Wednesday he resigned. Thus, it is very unclear who will take over. Several names mentioned have since resigned. As far as news knows, several heavy LO associations support Frode Alfheim as new LO leader. Among them are the El & IT association, trade and office, and his own federation. Alfheim is currently the leader of the union strength. They have around 80,000 members, primarily in oil, gas, and on land industry. Why is LO important? What is LO? LO is an abbreviation for the national organization. It is an employee organization. This means that there is a place that people who work can organize together to stand stronger to employers. Where many members have LO? LO themselves state that they have over a million members. The members are divided into 23 unions, depending on what they are working on. The clearest union is by far the union. It has members who work with health and many tasks within the municipalities. What does LO do? The most important thing is that they negotiate wages on behalf of those who work. Either the entire LO or the various unions individually.LO also fights for workers’ rights in a number of areas. Among the most well -known areas are sick pay, working hours and the right to permanent work. Is it only LO that represents the workers? No. There are several others. The largest are Unio, YS and the Academics. They have around 850,000 members combined. Since LO is the largest, it is often those who are most heard. It is also LO who negotiates what is called the front subjects. The result there is most often what others also get in wage increases. Is important in politics? LO has over 100 years stood close to the Labor Party (Ap). The leader of LO always sits on Aps powerful central board. The leader also leads to chair the nomination committee when the AP is to choose new leaders. LO also gives many millions of NOK to Ap, especially in elections. This year, the LO management has proposed to provide NOK 20 million in support to Aps election campaign. -Nice that someone thinks of me as a dugand’s man Alfheim himself says no comment when news asks if he is a candidate to become a LO leader. But then he comments a bit anyway: – I see that someone has been out and mentioned me in the media, and thinks it’s nice that someone thinks of me as a dugand’s man, but I’m sitting in the nomination committee, so there’s absolutely no comments about me or anyone else. When news asks him to describe himself, Alfheim says he is a fairly ordinary Norwegian man. – I am a fairly common Norwegian man in the generation I am. Has been part of the development of the Norwegian welfare state and has a pretty good picture of how we have developed that welfare state, he says. Ingard Haugeberg is the chief shop steward for strength in Aker BP. Photo: Simon Elias Bogen / news – Good at getting people with Alfheim also receives good support from their colleagues in strength. – Our federal leader Frode Alfheim is our candidate if he stands for election, says Ingard Haugeberg, who is the chief union representative for strength in Aker BP. Haugeberg characterizes Alfheim as an “incredibly talented person”, with several good qualities. – He is a unionist, and he also knows politics. At the same time, he is great at getting people with him and listening to people. You get respect for Frode very quickly, says Haugeberg. Alfheim’s federal colleague in strength, LO Secretary Are Tomasgard, has also been mentioned as a possible new LO leader. He himself writes on Facebook that is not relevant. – I fully and completely behind Frode Alfheim’s candidacy as new LO leader, and ask that my candidacy be suspended from the discussions in the nomination committee until the recommendation for the leadership position is clarified, he writes. Frode Alfheim spoke in Stavanger on May 1st. Photo: Simon Elias Bogen / news does not withdraw from the nomination committee Alfheim sits on the nomination committee to propose a new LO leader. He says he will not resign now, even if his name is mentioned. – I am not an official candidate, even though someone has pointed to me. So I’m still a member of the nomination committee, he says. He will not comment on Eggum’s decision to resign, but is glad it happened quickly when it first happened. – I respect the decision. When he first did, I’m glad he did it before we went out to last 1 May speeches, says Frode Alfheim. Will not comment on neither Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, sitting LO leader Peggy Hessen Feelsvik, or chair of LO’s election committee, Mette Nord, wants to say anything about Alfheim as a potential new LO leader. – The work of the nomination committee takes place in the nomination committee, and the chair of the nomination committee should not comment on either one or the other. Now the nomination committee will have some work peace, and then we will find a good solution, says Mette Nord to news. Støre does not want to comment on his relationship with Frode Alfheim. – In the same way, I do not comment on any candidates, it will just be completely wrong. But I have great confidence that LO will arrange this well, says Støre to news. – But in general, how important is it for the Labor Party leader and prime minister to be able to cooperate well with LO’s leader? – I have experience that it is a good and open collaboration. There are rake messages. And when we stand together in this movement, it has significance for people out there at work, says Støre. Published 01.05.2025, at. 17.22 Updated 01.05.2025, at. 17.30
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