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Pioneer Divers in the Norwegian Sector of the North Sea


LABOUR AND INCLUSION MINISTRY REJECTS REQUEST FOR A NEW SEARCH FOR FOREIGN PIONEER DIVERS   21-03-09

 
In the Ministry of Minister Dag Terje Andersen would not be looking again for foreign pioneer divers. Foto: Scanpix
 
MINISTRY REJECTS REQUEST FOR A NEW SEARCH FOR FOREIGN PIONEER DIVERS:
AID (Labour and Inclusion Department) reject a request for a new search for 3000 foreign pioneer divers who may be eligible for millions in compensation. - Desperate, thinks diving spokesman.
ABCNYHETER Ola Karlsen Saturday, 21.03.09
 http://www.abcnyheter.no/node/85690

This week the Civil Ombudsmen (Parliamentary Commissioner) responds to a recommendation for a new search for more than 3,000 foreign divers from the pioneer period in the North Sea. But Labor and Social Inclusion Department (AID) believes that it is wasteful to send a letter to 30 year-old addresses.

- They are trying desperately to hold it to only just over 300 people divers in pioneer times, although more than 3000 held diving certificates, Guttorm Engebretsen said in one of diving organizations, the North Sea Divers Alliance (NSDA).

Rubbish. Diving spokesman Rolf Guttorm Engebretsen is not satisfied with the ministry's rejection. Foto: Scanpix

- This is rubbish

He is a little excited that the NSDA is used in the AID response. In it is quoted the alliance (NSDA) has not been able to track more than a few foreign divers.

- That is rubbish, the Ministry has not written to us. We have however repeatedly asked for resources to track down more, but got rejected. Today we sit on a list with several hundred addresses. Neither Ministry has been interested in, he said.

It was in 2004 that Parliament decided to establish a compensation scheme for the divers who were injured in the first-time cowboy times. This should show that Norway took a moral and ethical responsibility for the more or less lawless and inadequately regulated period.

A separate diving Council has since provided support to nearly 300 divers or surviving families of divers who died on the Norwegian continental shelf, which has cost about a half a billion kroner.

The authorities have been criticized for the way they have tried to inform the system above any injured foreign divers. Information about the compensation was only available at the Norwegian Embassy website, which many believe has not been sufficient.

Considering the next step

The NSDA has repeatedly tried to get the Civil Ombudsmen to take up the matter, and in December last year wrote Civil Ombudsman, Arne Fliflet a letter to the Labor and Social Inclusion Department where he told us that it should be possible to make use of the lists of those who received the Norwegian diving licenses must pioneer period .

But now Dag Terje Andersen and his ministry rejects reject this. They believe that these lists are deficient and that the addresses found to be unworkable.

To ABC News says, Arne Fliflet, Civil Ombudsman says that he has read the letter, but not yet decided what the response will be.

- I shall now consider the next step, says Fliflet.

The Diving Tribunal is scheduled to hold their last meeting in the autumn, and will therefore, in reality, have limited ability to process new applications.

In another case connected it emerged that the Diving Tribunal has treated surviving families of casualties divers differently. Also in this area is Labor and Social Inclusion Department required an answer, this time from Parliamentary Control and Constitution Committee.

 

If any one out there is serious and can help to find the families, or who just wants more information please contact me directly:

Tom Wingen
Brunla Gård. N-3294 Stavern, Norway
Tel: (+47) 959 444 85 | E-mail: mail@pioneerdivers.org