The world needs Norwegian aluminum, but who is going to be responsible for the production unless the working people at Karmøy and Lista do?
(THIS ARTICLE IS MACHINE TRANSLATED by Google from Norwegian)
Friday 13. June, workers from all regions gathered in front of the Storting for a demonstration. The requirement was that the government must fulfill its promise and establish an industrial power regime.
Before the 2005 parliamentary elections, politicians mocked the red-green alternative right-wing government that allowed the Union paper mill to be closed down. When the red-green won the election, workers had reason to wait for action. Nevertheless, there has been unnecessary buzz about the future of Norwegian industry, which has resulted in great uncertainty in industrial jobs around the country. The industry is looking for long-term power supply agreements, which should be a great will, as the Declaration of Government states that an industrial power regime should be established.
A number of local communities in Norway, from Lista in the south to Finnsnes in the north, are built around the production of aluminum, silicon, steel, wood processing, fertilizers and other export products. These are cornerstone companies that were built up near hydroelectric power stations. The time we built the country. At Hydro Aluminum in Karmøy, 1400 people work. Many with families and houses on Karmøy. If the Karmøy facility shuts down, these people will have to find new work, new kindergartens for their children and take up new mortgages elsewhere. Probably in places with pressure on kindergartens and homes from before. The uncertainty surrounding continued operation of the plant may have caused some to move already. It is rocked by the settlement pattern when touched by the industry.
The world will continue to need aluminum even if the Karmøy plant is shut down. Aluminum demand is likely to increase between 5-7 per cent annually. Who will be responsible for the production if the working people at Karmøy do not? The Chinese? Workers in Qatar? Or people elsewhere that are not close to Norwegian standards for safety, working environment and emission requirements? Over the course of a generation, work in the industry has gone from being a major risk to life and health to leading to work environment improvements, greater safety and increased participation. It is directly unsolid and environmentally hostile to throw the industry out of Norway. Therefore, the trade union movement, companies and the environmental movement should carve out an alliance to preserve Norwegian industrial jobs.
LO calls for long-term power contracts, which vary in relation to the price of raw materials or products, and which can be tied to the electricity supply situation. These are power contracts that can be made depending on environmental improvements and investment in energy recovery in the industry. Or you can look at solutions that are already being implemented in EU countries, where several industrial companies are merging and offering a larger common amount of power. The solutions are there, but the government has to show momentum.
No economist can count on the fact that it is good climate policy to invest in the production of silicon and aluminum in Norway. Without silicon, Norway would not be able to become a world leader in solar cell technology. Since the mid-1990s, our aluminum plants have cut greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent, while other sectors such as oil and road traffic are increasing their CO2 emissions year on year. Norwegian industry appears as part of the environmental solutions the world needs. A future for the power-intensive industry in Norway depends on long-term power solutions being put in place. I hope the government shows action and that Friday 13th can be remembered as a day of happiness for the future of Norwegian industry. Otherwise, workers have reason to feel let down.
