A large number of Coop employees claim that they have felt threatened and harassed by Coop top Torbjørn Skei over several years.
– The board has now decided that we initiate an impartial investigation conducted by an independent third party. Through this, all those affected will be able to present their experiences in a thorough and safe way that both safeguards privacy and ensures that we get a full overview of the scope, says chairman of the board of Coop Norge SA, Tore Tjomsland to Nettavisen.
After a number of cases where sources within Coop have pointed out criticisable conditions in Coop Norway, withdrew Torbjørn Skei resigned a week ago as deputy chairman of the board of Coop Norge.
Skei is still the leader of the important chain board in Coop and the general manager of Coop Midt-Norge, Coop’s second largest cooperative. He has been considered by many to be Coop’s most powerful man.
Big number
At the same time, a large number of sources in the Coop system have told Nettavisen that they have experienced threats, harassment and gross ruling techniques from Torbjørn Skei. According to the sources, this has been going on for many years and has affected many employees.
The sources say the behavior affects individuals and inhibits cooperation, development, working environment and Coop as an organization.
The online newspaper knows the identity of the sources and all have central positions in Coop in Norway.
Several who Nettavisen has spoken claim that Skei’s behavior should be well known internally in Coop, and people on both the board and the group management in Coop Norway should have been informed about this or experienced it themselves. The sources say that both the board and group management have been made aware of the conditions, but that this has not had any consequences.
The sources claim that Skei has created a culture of fear in Coop and a very demanding work environment.
Initiates an investigation
This week, Nettavisen communicated this to the board and group management of Coop Norge.
– I am familiar with challenges related to the behavior and with the fact that employees in Coop have experienced it as demanding and unpleasant. With what has now also emerged, I acknowledge that this should have been addressed earlier. I apologize to all affected parties, says chairman of the board Tore Tjomsland to Nettavisen in an email.
He further says that harassing behavior and fear culture should not occur in Coop, and that the board is therefore now taking action.
– With this, I hope and believe we can now get the peace we need, so that we can reach what is our only goal as quickly as possible. Namely to clean up this situation and ensure that all employees in Coop in Norway have a safe and good workplace, he says.
– This should have been resolved earlier
Geir Inge Stokke, CEO of Coop Norge, also says that he knows about the problem and should have acted before.
– I know that he (Skei, editor’s note) is perceived as demanding, and I am also aware that employees in Coop Norge SA have experienced it as difficult and unpleasant. This also applies to several members of my management team, who have told about their own experiences which they describe as painful and very demanding, says Stokke in an e-mail to Nettavisen.
Stokke adds:
– With the information I have now received, through this case and concrete feedback, I see that this should have been raised more clearly on my part earlier. I apologize to all our employees in Coop Norge SA.
Stokke says he is now happy that the board has decided to initiate an impartial investigation, conducted by an independent third party.
– Now all affected parties will be able to present their experiences in a thorough and safe way that both safeguards privacy and ensures that a full overview is given of the scope of what has now emerged. With this, I hope and believe the board can now get the peace they need, so that it is cleaned up in this situation as quickly as possible. This is to ensure that all employees in Coop Norway have a safe and good workplace.
How Coop is organized in Norway:
- Coop in Norway is owned by approximately 1.9 million members who are members of various cooperatives
- A total of 66 cooperatives at the end of 2020
- The co-operatives are separate, independent legal entities (co-operatives), and are owned and managed by the co-owners locally / regionally.
- Each cooperative is organized with an annual meeting, a board and a general manager / managing director
- The cooperatives own Coop Norge SA
- Coop Norge SA is the joint organization for the cooperatives in Coop, which, among other things, is responsible for logistics, purchasing and marketing. They must also take care of joint tasks to secure and create value, and through this contribute to the cooperatives being run efficiently and professionally for the benefit of the co-owners.
- Coop Norge SA also has a number of subsidiaries that work with logistics, transport and production to supply the cooperative teams and stores. For example, Coop Norge Industri AS, Norsk Butikkdrift AS (formerly Ica Norge AS), Coop Norge Kaffe AS and Coop Norge Eiendom.
- There are elected representatives from various cooperatives and elected representatives of the employees who sit on the board of Coop Norge SA. The board decides who is the CEO of Coop Norge SA, which today is Geir Inge Stokke.
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This is how the board representatives in Coop in Norway are determined:
- Coop members in a cooperative team can be elected to positions of trust in the team. The members of the individual co-operative group elect representatives to the annual meeting of their co-operative group. The annual meeting consists of the members of the team who, on the recommendation of the nomination committee in the cooperative team, are elected as annual meeting representatives either electronically by the members in accordance with their own election rules, or by the district annual meeting on the recommendation of the nomination committee.
- The annual meeting is the cooperative’s highest body, which, among other things, elects a board. The board employs the CEO of the cooperative, and the CEO is responsible for the operation of the cooperative.
- The board of each cooperative decides who will represent the cooperative at the annual meeting of Coop Norge SA. The annual meeting of Coop Norges SA is the company’s highest body and elects the board of Coop Norge SA on the recommendation of the nomination committee. The annual meeting then elects a nomination committee with representatives from the cooperatives on the recommendation of the board.
- The board of Coop Norge SA has the overall responsibility for the management of the business in Coop Norge SA and hires the CEO, who today is Geir Inge Stokke. The CEO is responsible for the operation of Coop Norge SA.
- In 2021, the board of Coop Norge SA consists of the CEO of nine different cooperatives, as well as four representatives elected by and from among the employees of Coop Norge SA. The chairman of the board of Coop Norge SA today is Tore Tjomsland, who is also the managing director of Coop Øst.
- Four large cooperatives that have the CEO of the board of Coop Norge SA have a majority in the annual meeting of Coop Norge. Behind these four teams are approximately 1.1 million members.
- To get a position of trust in the cooperative you are a member of, you must be of legal age, have paid in a full share contribution and traded in your own team for a minimum amount during the last six or twelve months. There are also other requirements, such as that you do not work in a competing company or are a regular major supplier to Coop.
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Torbjørn Skei answers
Skei himself corresponds to the following to Nettavisen:
– I look forward to an impartial and thorough review of these allegations in particular, and the working environment in Coop Norway in general. I do not know the content, but I certainly take into account that there are several key people in Coop Norway who say that I have been too harsh or harsh with them.
– I know that I can be direct, demanding and make tough demands, and it is of course regrettable if someone has experienced this as unpleasant. During 37 years in Coop, I have never received any notification cases against me, or any feedback on such cases. Therefore, it is good that this is reviewed, so that all aspects of this case can be elucidated, he writes in an email.
Lisbeth Bull Husby, leader of Coop Midt-Norge and deputy leader Toril Valla of Coop Midt-Norge, will make a statement at the same time.
– Torbjørn Skei has been CEO of Coop Midt-Norge since 1999. He is undoubtedly a goal-oriented leader, who is direct in his feedback. In Coop Midt-Norge, we are not at all aware that this has at any time crossed the line into either threats or harassment. On the contrary, both the HR department in Coop Midt-Norge and the employees’ shop stewards confirm that they do not recognize themselves in such descriptions. It has been an important task for Skei to fight for Central Norway’s issues in Coop nationally, where the tone can certainly be harsh in cases where there are different interests between cooperatives and Coop Norway, it is said in a comment from Husby and Valla.
– Must look at underlying causes
– This case shows how important it is to have a culture and system to address serious alerts as soon as they are received. Then long-term escalations of case and conflict can be avoided, and the risk of injury is reduced, says Birthe Maria Eriksen, lawyer and whistleblowing expert.
She believes it is appropriate that self-criticism is now taken that this has not happened in Coop Norge AS, not least because this is an organization with significant societal interest:
– That an independent investigation is now initiated is necessary, but it is important that this is not done as an investigation of psychosocial conditions in the work environment alone.
It has emerged sufficiently in this case that it becomes important to formulate a mandate that also goes into possible underlying causal factors related to power structures and conflicts of interest and impartiality, Eriksen believes.
– It will also be important to ensure trust in the process by designing and anchoring the mandate by and with relevant levels / actors in the organization. It is especially important if questions can be asked about the board’s impartiality, says the notification expert.
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