Fagopposisjonen av 1940

Fagopposisjonen av 1940 (Trade Opposition of 1940) was a grouping among Norwegian trade unionists in 1940, after the German invasion of Norway.

It had roots in a 1930s informal oppositional group within the Norwegian labour movement. The informal group was led by Håkon Meyer, and was more radical than the mainstream labour movement. On 9 April 1940 Germany invaded Norway, and subsequently occupied the country. The mainstream labour movement was now engaged in fighting and opposing a German rule. However, the grouping around Håkon Meyer wanted to steer the labour movement in another direction; taking advantage of the occupation to make conditions for laborers more favourable. The grouping was soon supported by some members of the radical Communist Party of Norway, and by non-partisan trade unionists such as Halvard Olsen.[1]

Fagopposisjonen av 1940 was founded as a formal group on 15 June 1940. Meyer and Olsen were leading figures, Jens Tangen headed the executive committee.[1] The other members of the executive committee were Meyer, H. Olsen, Erling Olsen, Martin Brendberg, Adelstein Haugen and Albert Johannessen.[2] It was staunchly opposed by the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) and official organs of the labour movement; LO officially denounced Fagopposisjonen av 1940 as "underminers" on 26 July.[1]

Around August–September the group was split in two. One part, led by Håkon Meyer, started accepting the Norwegian Fascist party Nasjonal Samling (who had taken power for a few days in April) as a cooperation partner. The other part disassociated itself with the Nazi rule.[1] In late September Fagopposisjonen managed to have the German powerholders remove acting leader of the Confederation of Trade Unions, Elias Volan. Jens Tangen was installed as leader.[3] Erling Olsen became secretary.[1] Both Tangen, Meyer, H. Olsen, E. Olsen and Kåre Rein came to hold leading positions in the Confederation of Trade Unions in the next years.[1][4]

References
  1. Pryser, Tore (1995). "fagopposisjonen av 1940". In Dahl, Hans Fredrik (ed.). Norsk krigsleksikon 1940-45. Oslo: Cappelen. Archived from the original on 29 May 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2010.
  2. Pryser, Tore (2003). Alltid mot strømmen. Bidrag til Håkon Meyers biografi 1896–1989 (in Norwegian). Lillehammer: Lillehammer University College. p. 28. ISBN 82-7184-276-5.
  3. Pryser, Tore (1995). "Volan, Elias". In Dahl, Hans Fredrik (ed.). Norsk krigsleksikon 1940-45. Oslo: Cappelen. Archived from the original on 1 March 2012. Retrieved 2 August 2010.
  4. Sørensen, Øystein (1995). "Rein, Kåre". In Dahl, Hans Fredrik (ed.). Norsk krigsleksikon 1940-45. Oslo: Cappelen. Archived from the original on 4 January 2010. Retrieved 24 June 2010.
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