Fagopposisjonen av 1940 (Trade Opposition of 1940) was a grouping among Norwegian trade unionists in 1940, after the German invasion of Norway.
It had roots in a 1930s informal oppositional group within the Norwegian labour movement. The informal group was led by Håkon Meyer, and was more radical than the mainstream labour movement. On 9 April 1940 Germany invaded Norway, and subsequently occupied the country. The mainstream labour movement was now engaged in fighting and opposing a German rule. However, the grouping around Håkon Meyer wanted to steer the labour movement in another direction; taking advantage of the occupation to make conditions for laborers more favourable. The grouping was soon supported by some members of the radical Communist Party of Norway, and by non-partisan trade unionists such as Halvard Olsen.[1]
Fagopposisjonen av 1940 was founded as a formal group on 15 June 1940. Meyer and Olsen were leading figures, Jens Tangen headed the executive committee.[1] The other members of the executive committee were Meyer, H. Olsen, Erling Olsen, Martin Brendberg, Adelstein Haugen and Albert Johannessen.[2] It was staunchly opposed by the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) and official organs of the labour movement; LO officially denounced Fagopposisjonen av 1940 as "underminers" on 26 July.[1]
Around August–September the group was split in two. One part, led by Håkon Meyer, started accepting the Norwegian Fascist party Nasjonal Samling (who had taken power for a few days in April) as a cooperation partner. The other part disassociated itself with the Nazi rule.[1] In late September Fagopposisjonen managed to have the German powerholders remove acting leader of the Confederation of Trade Unions, Elias Volan. Jens Tangen was installed as leader.[3] Erling Olsen became secretary.[1] Both Tangen, Meyer, H. Olsen, E. Olsen and Kåre Rein came to hold leading positions in the Confederation of Trade Unions in the next years.[1][4]