The Minister of Fisheries and Seafood saw himself forced to send an unusual letter to stop the wage race in February.
Wednesday wrote Nord24 about Renate Larsen, who receives 2.7 million for the job she does as CEO of the state-owned Norwegian Seafood Council.
The newspaper also writes that Larsen will receive NOK 1.3 million in severance pay in addition to six months’ salary during the notice period, if she has to leave her position. This is stated in the latest annual report for the Norwegian Seafood Council.
The Norwegian Seafood Council is under the responsibility of Minister of Fisheries and Seafood Odd-Emil Ingebrigtsen.
Larsen’s salary is almost double what the Minister of Fisheries and Seafood Odd Emil Ingebrigtsen himself earns as Minister of State.
Asked them to limit themselves
In February this year, Ingebrigtsen sent out an email to the chair of the Norwegian Seafood Council, Marianne E. Johnsen, in which the topic was precisely executive salaries.
In the letter, which Avisa Nordland has gained access to, the Minister emphasizes that he does not normally give direct signals beyond the stipulated owners’ meetings and the general meeting.
– The question of executive pay will in the special situation we are in both get extra attention and have to be justified beyond what would have been the case in a “normal” situation. As the owner, the undersigned will ultimately have to answer for the boards’ decision if it becomes relevant. In a special situation, I believe that I as the owner must go a little further than usual in signaling a wish to you as chairman of the board, it appears from the letter.
– Unmusical
Furthermore, Ingebrigtsen points out that the corona crisis has led to increased unemployment and that parts of the business community are in crisis. Therefore, an extra focus on moderation is required in state-owned companies.
– However, I think it for the companies where I am the owner, will be unmusical with an increase in management salaries in a situation with many unemployed and parts of the business community that are threatened with bankruptcy, Ingebrigtsen writes to the chairman of the board of the Seafood Council.
Ingebrigtsen concluded the letter by asking the chairman of the board to consider extra carefully whether there is a need to regulate executive pay in the current year.
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– Has taken note of the content
– What do they think about the letter from Ingebrigtsen?
– This letter went in February this year to all state companies the minister is responsible for, and we have naturally taken note of the content, says communications director of the Norwegian Seafood Council, Chris Guldberg on behalf of Marianne Johnsen in an e-mail to Nettavisen.
– Is it true that Larsen has such a high salary, 2.7 million a year, when she is the head of a state-owned company? Especially now during the corona pandemic where parts of the business community are struggling and many have lost their jobs.
– Our wage policy is that we must have a competitive wage level, but we must not be a wage leader. The CEO’s salary is in the middle tier compared to other state-owned companies. I also make you aware that the salary includes a provision for a pension, it is stated in the answer to Nettavisen.
Johnsen says Larsen herself chose not to go up in salary in 2020, but that she has not said anything about the salary she already had in light of the corona crisis.
– Since she was hired five years ago, she has had an average salary increase of 1.8 percent, which is lower than the general salary increase in the period, says Johnsen.
– Focused on moderation
– Is it true that executive salaries in general in the Norwegian Seafood Council are so high now during the pandemic?
– As mentioned, the CEO had a zero settlement last year at his own request. The rest of the management team has had a development that is in line with the front subjects. As mentioned, wages are in the middle tier compared to other state-owned companies.
– Should not leaders in state-owned companies focus on more moderate salaries during such a special and demanding time for our country?
– In the Seafood Council, we have focused on moderation, therefore there has been low wage growth in this demanding period.
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