John Marius Trana
Encyclopedia
John Marius Trana was a Norwegian trade unionist and politician for the Labour Party
. He chaired the Norwegian Union of Railway Workers
from 1945 to 1963, and served as a deputy representative in the Norwegian Parliament.
as the son of railway manager John Trana (1871–1920) and his wife Marie Justine Freberg (1867–1949).
John Marius Trana was hired by the Norwegian State Railways in 1917, and was promoted to railway manager in 1921. He became involved in the trade union Norwegian Union of Railway Workers
, serving as a member of the national board from 1932 to 1941. From 1941 to 1945, during the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
when the Nazi occupants usurped the trade union, Trana was the chairman of the illegal shadow union. The pre-war union chairman, Ludvik Buland
, was imprisoned in a concentration camp in 1941. Buland died in prison in 1945, and following the liberation of Norway in May that year, Trana was elected as the new chairman. He was challenged by Communist candidate Olaf Bjerke
, but won the vote at the national convention. He chaired the union until 1963, and was later given honorary membership.
In the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions
, the national trade union center
in Norway, he was a member of the board from 1945 to 1949 and of the secretariat from 1949 to 1963. From 1949 to 1963 he also chaired the Statstjenestemannskartellet
, a cartel
within the Confederation of Trade Unions for workers in the public sector. Trana was also a member of the board of the railway section in the International Transport Workers' Federation
.
Trana had a political background as a member of the executive committee of Oslo
city council from 1931 to 1937. He served as a deputy representative to the Norwegian Parliament from Oslo
during the terms 1954–1957 and 1958–1961.
Norwegian Labour Party
The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in Norway. It is the senior partner in the current Norwegian government as part of the Red-Green Coalition, and its leader, Jens Stoltenberg, is the current Prime Minister of Norway....
. He chaired the Norwegian Union of Railway Workers
Norwegian Union of Railway Workers
The Norwegian Union of Railway Workers is a trade union in Norway. It was formed on 20 November 1892, and mainly organizes workers in Norges Statsbaner—with the exception of locomotive drivers— and the Norwegian National Rail Administration, including related companies such as...
from 1945 to 1963, and served as a deputy representative in the Norwegian Parliament.
Career
He was born in VerdalVerdal
Verdal is a municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Innherad region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Verdalsøra...
as the son of railway manager John Trana (1871–1920) and his wife Marie Justine Freberg (1867–1949).
John Marius Trana was hired by the Norwegian State Railways in 1917, and was promoted to railway manager in 1921. He became involved in the trade union Norwegian Union of Railway Workers
Norwegian Union of Railway Workers
The Norwegian Union of Railway Workers is a trade union in Norway. It was formed on 20 November 1892, and mainly organizes workers in Norges Statsbaner—with the exception of locomotive drivers— and the Norwegian National Rail Administration, including related companies such as...
, serving as a member of the national board from 1932 to 1941. From 1941 to 1945, during the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
The occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany started with the German invasion of Norway on April 9, 1940, and ended on May 8, 1945, after the capitulation of German forces in Europe. Throughout this period, Norway was continuously occupied by the Wehrmacht...
when the Nazi occupants usurped the trade union, Trana was the chairman of the illegal shadow union. The pre-war union chairman, Ludvik Buland
Ludvik Buland
Ludvik Buland was a Norwegian trade unionist. He chaired the Norwegian Union of Railway Workers, but was imprisoned and died during the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany.-Early life and career:...
, was imprisoned in a concentration camp in 1941. Buland died in prison in 1945, and following the liberation of Norway in May that year, Trana was elected as the new chairman. He was challenged by Communist candidate Olaf Bjerke
Olaf Bjerke
Olaf Bjerke was a Norwegian trade unionist and politician for the Communist Party.During the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany he was arrested on 10 September 1941 after the milk strike. He was imprisoned at Møllergata 19, then in Grini concentration camp, then in Sachsenhausen concentration...
, but won the vote at the national convention. He chaired the union until 1963, and was later given honorary membership.
In the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions
Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions
The Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions is a national trade union center, decidedly the largest and probably the most influential umbrella organization of labour unions in Norway. The 21 national unions affiliated to the LO have more than 850,000 members of a Norwegian population of 4.8 million...
, the national trade union center
National trade union center
A national trade union center is a federation or confederation of trade unions in a single country. Nearly every country in the world has a national trade union center, and many have more than one. When there is more than one national center, it is often because of ideological differences—in some...
in Norway, he was a member of the board from 1945 to 1949 and of the secretariat from 1949 to 1963. From 1949 to 1963 he also chaired the Statstjenestemannskartellet
LO Stat
LO Stat is one of two cartels within the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions.It organizes employees of the Norwegian state or of companies that are member bodies of the employers' association Spekter. It was created in 1939 under the name Statstjenestemannskartellet . In 1996 it was renamed...
, a cartel
Cartel
A cartel is a formal agreement among competing firms. It is a formal organization of producers and manufacturers that agree to fix prices, marketing, and production. Cartels usually occur in an oligopolistic industry, where there is a small number of sellers and usually involve homogeneous products...
within the Confederation of Trade Unions for workers in the public sector. Trana was also a member of the board of the railway section in the International Transport Workers' Federation
International Transport Workers' Federation
The International Transport Workers' Federation is a global union federation of transport workers' trade unions, founded in 1896. In 2009 the ITF had 654 member organizations in 148 countries, representing a combined membership of 4.5 million workers....
.
Trana had a political background as a member of the executive committee of Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
city council from 1931 to 1937. He served as a deputy representative to the Norwegian Parliament from Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
during the terms 1954–1957 and 1958–1961.