"After that, people in Bergen came up to me and said we have to do something to support the Liverpool dockers! In Bergen, if you are crazy about football you are crazy about Liverpool and Brann!
"Now we have a solidarity committee in Bergen, and whenever Brann plays at home people go to the match with collecting tins."
Arild took up the issue of Liverpool in the congress of the LO, the Norwegian TUC. Against the General Secretary, Arild managed to get the congress to agree a donation of 100,000 Norwegian kroners (about £10,000).
But the money wasn't the most important thing.
"For the LO to give their moral support was a big step. The LO is well respected amongst European trade unions.""Now we have 3 support committees in the 3 biggest towns: Oslo, Bergen, and Trondheim. They are working on financial and moral support for the dockers.
"The support comes from the biggest unions affiliated to the LO, and it came with an overwhelming card vote at the congress.
"This dispute reminds me of what happened in the 1930’s in Norway, with the police protecting the scabs and preventing the workers from regaining their jobs. For it to happen in 1997, only 2 hours flight from my home town, scares me.
"England is said to be a democracy. Workers all over the world wouldn't call this democracy. They will say it's bloody unfair!"
Liverpool dockers Terry Southers and Kevin Bilsborrow went to Norway in April. They visited Oslo, Trondheim, Bergen, and Stavanger.
"The Norwegian Transport Union set up our itinerary to tour major cities, towns and ports," Terry explains. "We spoke to many different types of trade unionists, print workers, dockers, engineering workers, hotel workers. The response we got was very strong from the moment we arrived. We warned them of the type of things that could happen in their own country as well as asking for support and solidarity for our own dispute.
"Norway appears to be enjoying a good lifestyle, but things could easily change as we found in England to our peril. The trade unionists half recognised this already. They actually invited us to help awaken those who had yet to realise the dangers.
"The registered dockworkers have declined in numbers. They are being replaced by private stevedoring firms which are not registered. Eventually the dockworkers will be completely replaced.
"The rank and file of the union movement in Norway are as strong as in any other part of the world. They seem to have the same problems as most of us with their own bureaucracy. Once you reach a certain level in any country, the hierarchy seems to distance themselves from any workers' struggles, hiding behind laws. The LO only made their important decision to support Liverpool because the intervention of delegates made it impossible for the leaders to prevent it.
"The trade unionists have been a tremendous help to us by bringing an international solidarity which we appreciate as much as they will when they need it. The support that we've had financially since the visit has been tremendous. We hope that what we did in Norway actually pays back some of this by helping to achieve the aims of those trade unionists who invited us," Terry concluded.
"Their most important message to us was to watch out, because this can happen in Norway before you know it," says Arild.
"The solidarity work around the world has just started. It will get stronger and stronger, as the conflict continues more and more people will wake up and see what's really going on. If we don't put a stop to it, there will be more of this sort of conflict in Europe. That's why it's important to win this."
