24 October, 2011
The ICEM Norwegian affiliate, IndustriEnergi (IE), announces 2012 nominations are now open for its third annual Arthur Svensson International Award for Union Rights. The award, which comes with a cash prize of NOK 500,000 (€63,000), is given to a person or organization for outstanding contributions for promoting trade union rights and strengthening of trade unionism on the international and national levels.
The deadline for nominations is 31 January 2012, and the award will be bestowed to the serving recipient on 14 June 2014. Nominations must include valid arguments on behalf of the nominee, and it must be made clear the organization or person making the nomination, and the nominator’s relationship with the candidate.
Arthur Svensson
Nominations, in Norwegian, English, French or Spanish, must come from representatives or employees of Norwegian and international trade unions. The nominations should be made to Espen Løken at [email protected], or faxed to +47 23 06 1360.
The inaugural winner in 2010 was Wellington Chibebe, Secretary-General of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, while this year’s winner was Shaher Sae’d, Secretary-General of the Palestine General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU).
Arthur Svensson was the longtime leader of Norsk Kjemisk, the Norwegian Chemical Workers’ Association, which merged with NOPEF in September 2006 to form IE. He died in 2008, but left a legacy in Norway and beyond as a man who promoted peace, disarmament, and a nuclear weapons-free world.
Mr. Svensson was a driving force from his various leadership positions with the Chemical Workers’ Union for implementation of Norwegian environmental law and a proponent of clean energy in driving clean industries.