- Will hear if he can apologize - Dagsavisen

Published: 05 November 2024 at 17:32Last updated: 05 November 2024 at 17:34

– Many people don’t even know if they are experiencing Christmas, says Bjarne Kapstad.

He is one of several seriously ill oil pioneers who are fighting for justice, and compensation for the work they did in the infancy of the oil age. In a time where health and safety were not a high priority. Something they notice on their bodies today.

A government appointee report from 2022“The oil pioneers – a compensation scheme”, established that around 400 so-called oil pioneers were entitled to compensation.

Now he hopes, and several hundred with him, that FRP representative proposal (document 8 proposal), where they ask for a special arrangement for the oil pioneers, will get a majority in the Storting, and thus progress in the payments.

Shall grill Støre

Mímir Kristjánsson (Red), who is himself from the oil county of Rogaland, has long been involved in the cause of the oil pioneers. He believes it is time for the government get your finger out.

On Wednesday, he will raise the matter with Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Ap) in the Storting’s Question Time.

– I want to take this up with Støre, after he recently, on YS conference 2024 spoke about the oil pioneers, says the Rødt politician.

– I have registered the topic, but not the questions I want to ask. It’s about statements he made recently that point to them not getting any compensation scheme, only getting compensation through occupational injury compensation, says Kristjánsson and adds:

– And then I want to hear if he can apologize to the oil pioneers on behalf of the state for having had to wait so long.

SAFE’s (Association of Trade Unions in the Energy Sector) union leader Raymond Midtgård asked Støre during the YS conference when they will come up with a final answer to the compensation.

– The oil pioneers are a unique group and deserve careful consideration. We are now working on mapping the possibilities within the ordinary occupational injury system. We want to ensure that as many people as possible have their needs met without separate arrangements having to be created for many groups, replied Støre, and said that this would take time.

– We are now working on mapping the possibilities within the ordinary occupational injury system. We want to ensure that as many people as possible have their needs met without separate arrangements having to be created for many groups, Støre pointed out.

That answer is not good enough for Mímir Kristjánsson. The FRP’s representative proposal is something Red wholeheartedly supports, and which he hopes there will be broad political agreement on.

– Will hear if he can apologize – Dagsavisen — Rødts Mimir Kristjansson (Ole Berg-Rusten/NTB)

– It is only the government and the ministry that do not agree with the politicians, he says.

– It is strange that the oil pioneers should be treated as normal occupational injuries. Most of the occupations included in the occupational injury scheme are safe occupations, which being an oil worker in the pioneer era was not. It is about the nature of the profession. It is not dangerous to be a driver or health worker, although accidents can happen here too, says Mímir Kristjánsson.

He compares the oil pioneers to Norwegian soldiers who have served abroad.

– A proper apology is expected, and a separate arrangement for the oil pioneers, on an equal footing with war sailors and North Sea divers. But again. It is urgent, concludes Mímir Kristjánsson.

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This is the case

400 oil pioneers are waiting to receive compensation for the health damage they suffered as a result of the work they have done for Norway’s oil wealth.
Dagsavisen has told the stories of several of the oil pioneers. Hans Marwall has contracted incurable bone marrow cancer after inhaling a cocktail of dangerous substances.
Bjarne Kapstad has suffered brain damage and severe cognitive impairment. Thord Lillehavn has had bone marrow cancer.
Josef Heng has become totally in need of care after inhaling dangerous chemicals, and lives in a nursing home at the age of 69.
June 20 the Storting instructed the government to speed up the payments.
A UN report from 2021 says that the chemical substance Benzenewhich is found naturally in oil and gas, is far more dangerous than thought, and is highly carcinogenic.
Politician tops plunges into the battle for the oil pioneers.
Researchers: Asbestos can lead to a rare type of cancer in the oil pioneers.
No money to the oil pioneers.
FRP promotes new proposal for the oil pioneers.
Hope new decision will speed up the government.
– These people use his last lifetime fighting in the system.

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Several support the FRP’s proposal

– Jan Terje Biktjørn and I had a meeting with Jonas Sayed from KrF at my home, and he was able to tell me that KrF will vote for document 8 of the FRP proposal, says oil pioneer Bjarne Kapstad to Dagsavisen.

Together with Kvinesdal politician Runar Nilsen (Frp) and the oil pioneers Jan Terje Biktjørn and Jan Erik Tandberg, he fronts the case.

– We also wrote an email to SV’s Lars Haltbrekken and Ingrid Fiskå on Sunday to ask if they support the Document 8 proposal, but have not heard anything yet. We also wrote to Venstre’s Guri Melby, Sveinung Rotevatn and Abid Raja and MDG’s Une Bastholm. But no answer yet. We know that MDG and SV are on our side, but the document 8 vote is important for further progress, he says.

– Hearing Støre explain himself during the YS conference was a blow under the belt. Now we must reach the finish line soon, so that we can have peace. This is tiring for everyone, says Bjarne Kapstad.

SV is for the oil pioneers to receive compensation.

– We will work to ensure that the oil pioneers get their compensation, but we have not yet discussed the FRP’s proposal, says representative Lars Haltbrekken to Dagsavisen.

– We are not often happy with Frps proposals

Ingrid Liland is on the case for MDG, and they are positive about Frp’s proposal.

– It is not often that we are happy with Frp’s proposals, but we are very happy that this proposal came to the table, she says to Dagsavisen.

– It is petty that the government is still sitting and wondering where to start. Now I have not put all the details in the Frp’s proposal, but all that would be missing is for the opposition to stand up and take care of this group, she says.

Venstre’s labor policy spokesperson Sveinung Rotevatn responds to Dagsavisen as follows.

– We are still early in the processing in the committee, but we are keen to find a good solution here and it is essential that the government works quickly to clarify the matter.

Deserves justice

Ashish Kumar Bhargava, central acid member of Senterungdom, and nominated as new deputy leader, will propose introducing a compensation scheme for the oil pioneers in SP’s new parliamentary election programme.

– Now it is time for Norway to make up for this effort. The youth center proposes to introduce a compensation scheme for the oil pioneers in our new parliamentary election programme. Many of the pioneers have already passed away, and several struggle daily with serious health problems. This group, who laid the foundation for today’s oil economy, deserves a worthy compensation before it is too late. he says to Dagsavisen.

– We in Senterungdommen expect the government, through Labor and Social Affairs Minister Tonje Brenna, to follow up on the parliamentary decision to give these workers fair compensation. The government has on several occasions ensured better rights for ordinary working people, and the oil pioneers cannot be an exception. A compensation scheme must be in place and it must happen now, he adds

Dagsavisen has been in contact with the Ministry of Labor and Inclusion, which says that there is nothing new in the matter, but that it is being worked on.

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