Norwegian salmon companies should set the example
Last December a Norwegian delegation from the nation’s labour union sector visited Puerto Montt. The delegation, led by Rolf Joern Karles of the Norwegian Federation of Industrial and Commercial Unions, was invited to Chile by the Central Workers Union, Chile’s largest labor organization, and the National Confederation of Salmon Industry Workers (CONATRASAL). According the report made available by Ecoceanos (http://www.ecoceanos.cl/images/documentos/reporte_lo_enero2008.pdf), the delegation’s principal observations were that the labour conditions for workers in the Norwegian companies established in Chile are starkly inferior to those in Norway; and that Chile’s legislative power in not sufficient to improve these conditions. Their opinion is that Norwegian companies should serve as the example for the national salmon industry to follow, in terms of both social and environmental issues surrounding the industry. The recommendation is that the Norwegian government should have a more active participation in the company Mainstream, of which the State of Norway owns 43.5%.
