Kjell Bjørndalen (born 23 June 1946) is a Norwegian trade unionist, a former leader of the United Federation of Trade Unions. Career. Born on 23 June 1946, Bjørndalen was secretary of the Norwegian Union of Iron and Metalworkers from 1977. He was elected leader of the United Federation of Trade Unions (Norwegian:) from 1991 succeeding . He was leader of the union until 2007, when he was succeeded by Arve Bakke.