- Executives should also show moderation

In this year’s salary negotiations people will have to show moderation, and it is crucial that the leaders set a good example, Solberg tells Dagens Næringsliv. "This is an important part of how we face this crisis."

Earlier this year, during a seminar for the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise, Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg also encouraged executives to be careful when negotiating their salaries for 2012.

Solberg argues that Norwegian business could easily lose their competitive edge due to expensive wage settlements. Stoltenberg also used this argument when he spoke to Norwegian businesses:

"What I fear is a division of the Norwegian economy where some businesses, especially those doing foreign trade, are struggling, while others are fine," Jens Stoltenberg said on January 5. If the one part of business that is protected from competition grants themselves salaries that are too high, all Norwegian businesses will ultimately struggle, the Prime Minister explained.

(NRK/DN)

Julie Ryland