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With several strong nominations, there was a tough battle to be named Employee of the Year in Yrkestrafikkforbundet In the end, however, there was one candidate who stood out: Kurt Petersen, head of department 604.
The selection of the Employee Representative of the Year is one of the highlights of the representative council meeting. In front of 60 employee representatives from all over the country, Petersen received the award from union leader Trude Sande. The award also came with a check for 15,000 kroner given by Gjensidige.
In its justification for giving the award to Petersen, the jury highlighted one thing in particular: how Petersen has turned a previously inactive department into a large and well-functioning department in a short time.
– What is the recipe for building a well-functioning department?
– I think it's about getting in touch with the members. I remember the first years I was a member of YTF , then I didn't know I was in a local chapter. I thought I was just affiliated YTF centrally located in Oslo.
After a few years, Petersen discovered that he was part of a relatively large department in YTF , the logistics department for Vestre Viken – department 604. He tried to get involved in the department and was appointed treasurer in April 2024. In February last year, he was elected as leader.
– How do you get in touch with the members?
– It’s in so many ways. Among other things, I send them regular emails with updates on what’s happening in YTF , and in these emails I always encourage them to contact us on the board if they have any questions, says Petersen.
But communication is not limited to emails.
– I also send text messages with a welcome message to new members and I also like to make phone calls to them. I think first impressions are very important, and I want them to experience that we have an active leadership, and that it is a leadership that is easy to get in touch with.
– How do you find time for all this?
– Yes, I heard in the justification for my being named Employee of the Year that I spend so much time on this. But I don't really experience that myself. I do the things that were mentioned, but they are really small things, I think. I just make a phone call, write a short message, and I'm happy to have a cup of coffee with those who want it. It's nice, it's not a lot of work, says Petersen.
Petersen's driving force is - according to him - curiosity and a desire to have an impact.
– I've always been curious. I like to understand how things are put together, and how things develop. When you're curious, you often notice things that others don't see, and then you're often one step ahead.
