(Samenvatting) LO Noorwegen en haar voorzitter zijn heel dankbaar voor de blijken van medeleven. In enkele uren werden vele huidige leiders van LO-jongeren en toekomstige leiders van de Noorse Arbeidersbeweging, onder meer van de vakbeweging weggemaaid. Er is niet enkel het leed voor de jonge mensen die gedood of verwond werden, de andere jongeren werden door deze tragedie diep getraumatiseerd. 22 juli 2011 zal worden herinnerd als de zwartste dag in de geschiedenis van de beweging. Een open land als Noorwegen is wel kwetsbaar, maar die open democratie willen zij houden en zij zullen nog sterker en nog meer verenigd uit deze catastrofe komen.
Hierna de volledige tekst in het Engels:
Dear Luc, dear friends of the ACV-CSC
“LO Norway is deeply grateful for the condolences sent by you and a lot of other unions and unionleaders. It is very important for us to know that you are with us in these painful times.
An incredible tragedy has hit The Labour Party Youth, the labour movement in Norway, and our country as a nation. Hundreds of young people have been killed, wounded or traumatized by the shameful acts of terror.
It is difficult to grasp that Norway’s labour movement in a few hours lost so many of tomorrow’s leaders. July 22. 2011 will forever be remembered as the darkest day in the history of the labour movement of Norway.
Many of the victims that took part in the summer camp at Utøya belong to the member unions’ of LO. Many of them have positions in the union. They are the spine of LO’s youth work. We now know that some of them are among the missing, and possibly killed, in the horrendous attack on Utøya.
The bomb attack on the government buildings in Oslo and the massacre at Utøya show the vulnerability of an open society like ours. But we will show how important and deeply rooted this open democratic society is. Norway will become stronger and more united as a results of the attack.
Thank you very much for your solidarity and sympathy.
In deep sorrow,
Roar Flåthen
LO President.”