Magnus Midtbø was a Norwegian trade unionist and politician for the Labour Party

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....

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He was born in Ålvik

Ålvik

Ålvik is a village located at the Hardangerfjord in Kvam municipality, Norway. In 2006 Ålvik had a population of 740.Ålvik became an industrial village in 1905 when Bjølvefossen AS was established. The factory was acquired by Elkem in 1986, and is today one of four foundry production plants Elkem...

. He took education in electronics

Electronics

Electronics is the branch of science, engineering and technology that deals with electrical circuits involving active electrical components such as vacuum tubes, transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, and associated passive interconnection technologies...

, and worked in this field before becoming a leading trade unionist. He joined the union Norwegian Engineers and Managers Association in 1971, and served as deputy leader from 1982 to 1989, acting leader from 1989 to 1990 and leader from 1990 to 2005. An exception was the period from 1996 to 1997, when he served in Jagland's Cabinet as State Secretary

State Secretary (Norway)

In Norway, a State Secretary is a partisan political position within the executive branch of government. Contrary to the position Secretary of State in many other countries, the Norwegian State Secretary does not head his or her Ministry, rather, they are second in rank to a Minister...

 in the Ministry of Education, Research and Church Affairs

Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research

Royal Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research is a Norwegian responsible for education, research and kindergartens. The ministry was established in 1814, and since October 18, 2007 led by Tora Aasland and Kristin Halvorsen in 2009. The department reports to the legislature...

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Midtbø died in February 2010 in his Nesodden

Nesodden

Nesodden is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Follo. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Nesoddtangen. The parish of Næsodden was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838...

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