| kje-vara | Hei!
The article says: A pioneer is dead. With Halvor Serigstad is one of the great pioneers for democracy and the labour movement in Telemark passed away. He was one of the founders of the whole labour movement in Telemark just after the turn of the century, he became vice president in the county party og the Norwegian labour party when it was founded in Porsgrunn in 1904, and he was then foreman in the "herredspartiet" (not sure how to translate that. maybe local party) in Holla. he was of course also taking part in the professional front. He was a good friend of Hans Berntsen, probalbly the one who has started most unions in norwegian history. When the union was founded in 1900 at Ulefoss jerneverk (iron industry/factory), Bentsen had to be smuggled to Holla where he was sheltered (hidden) by Serigstad. But they managed to found the union. It was of course difficult to have this "opinion" at that time. Workers who had socialist ideas where not higly regarded and usually it did not take long before they had to take their coffeepan and leave (be fired). Serigstad came to Skien in 1905 where he, in spite of this, where working at Skien paper factory. They knew who he was but he was still allowed to stay, he told once. Serigstad became the first foreman of the union at Skiens paper factory and later was a memebr of the board for many years (probably as the union representative in the board). Later on he started to work with plumming, and started a plumming company in Skien where he was working until the 1920's until he started to work as a plummer in the municipalty of Gjerpen. He worked there until he got retired. Halvor Serigstad was an increadible straghit-lined person. he kept his radical ideas from his youth up to the last, and never hesitated to say so if he thought vthe party was getting off its track. Straight and strong he walked around in the streets of Skien up to recently, and he was always willing to discuss problems when you met him. We are grateful to the old pioneer and his remarkable effort. Peace over the memory of him.
Well, more or less like this. Sorry for misprintings and direct translation of norwegian grammar. |