Former LO leader Yngve Hågensen has died after a brief illness. He lived to be 84 years old.

– He was an orphan who became one of the most prominent and significant figures of the labor movement.

This is what Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Ap) had to say after the news of the death.

Hågensen headed LO from 1989 to 2001. He died in Askim after a short illness. He lived to be 84 years old.

Free trade movement first time to report death.

– He is a prominent LO leader and a towering figure in the Norwegian labor movement, says LO leader Peggy Hessen Følsvik.

In front of VG, he listed the three most important points for Hågensen to achieve:

• – The alternative to solidarity in the early nineties was mostly his work.
• – AFP, the pension scheme for those who can’t stay long at work, Yngve is behind it.
• – During the fifth week of vacation, he was the one who was at the forefront of getting through it.

The current leader of the LO highlights Hågensen’s ability to relate to important people – and how he wields his authority.

– He cares about power, and he’s also not afraid to use it. But primarily he exercises that power on behalf of his members. And it is an inspiration and an important lesson for all of us. You own your office, your power, through the fact that you represent many people. And Yngve did very well.

Hågensen grew up in an orphanage in Vardø during the war and worked in a paper mill in the 50s and 60s.

During his 12 years as leader of the LO, he wielded great power on the political left of Norway, but also became iconic for his use of (swear) language, loud voice, clenched fists and wildly popular stance.

In 1989 he took over as LO leader from Leif Haraldseth. He had to fight hard with Nils Totland to win the post. The leaders of the trade union movement and the Ap leadership supported Totland.

Hågensen was also very important as a member of the central governing body of the Labor Party and chair of the election committee several times.

As chair of the election committee in 1992, he intervened and secured the leadership post of Thorbjørn Jagland – against the wishes of Gro Harlem Brundtland. He wanted Jens Stoltenberg.

– Fearless

Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said he had met Hågensen regularly in recent years.

– He is always full of will, warmth and energy. He shared great input and encouragement. Yngve maintained his commitment and temperament throughout his life, and he will be missed by many, inside and outside the labor movement, said Støre.

– Giant

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg called Hågensen a “giant”.

– His great commitment comes from a background which means that he has always stood on the side of the weakest, Stoltenberg wrote on Facebook.

He called him a visionary, grounded at the same time.

– He is a unique combination of someone who stands up – and someone who meets other people. Today, my thoughts go out to his family and friends, and to the entire movement who remember him with deep gratitude, he wrote.

Gro Harlem Brundtland, Prime Minister of Norway from 1990 to 1996, called Hågensen an extraordinary and unforgettable shop assistant in the labor movement.

– He made important contributions to the country and people in a demanding period for the further development of our welfare state. Yngve will be sorely missed, wrote Gro Harlem Brundtland in a statement to VG.

Fellesforbundet leader Jørn Eggum said he had spoken a lot with Hågensen over the years.

– He is an extraordinary optimist of the future, Eggum told VG.

He highlighted the contractual pension (AFP), which is one of the most important things Hågensen can implement as an LO leader.

– For me, as today’s leader of Fellesforbundet, his old union, he was a guiding star and a role model, understanding every moment of the moment he lived. He has always been on the side of workers, he said.

– Make a mark

– Yngve left his mark as a LO leader, says LO leader Følsvik.

He pointed out that he was one of the architects behind the so-called solidarity choice solidarity choice Collaboration between the movement of trade unions, employers and the state to bring Norway out of the crisis with high unemploymentin the early 1990s.

That includes, among other things, moderate wage growth and employment measures, to get Norway out of an economic crisis and historically high unemployment.

– Under his leadership LO struggled during the 5th holiday week. His name will go down in history books as one of the great LO leaders, he said.

– Passing the heights of the night with a straight back

– Yngve can be very clear and distinct in his speeches, but on the other hand a good comrade with whom you can discuss difficult matters, former Labor Finance Minister Sigbjørn Jonsen told VG.

He had been looking forward to meeting Yngve Hågensen over the summer – a close friend since they met in the 80s.

– He was the one who always argued with those sitting under the table, said Johnsen.

– Yngve walked through the heights of the night with his back straight. He would stand as a pillar for the country and the Norwegian trade union movement for a long time to come.