Nordic countries: conflicting views on social dumping

The Nordic countries have chosen different strategies for how to fight social dumping. In Norway a Supreme Court judgement on working conditions in the shipbuilding industry has strengthened the trade unions’ roll. The Danish and Swedish governments are increasing workplaces controls. But there are always two sides to the coin. In Finland people are starting to wonder whether emigration from the Baltics in the long run will undermine the Baltic countries.

Apr 16, 2013 | Photo: Cata Portin

Veikko Strelnikov (picture above) moved from Estonia to Finland and has no plans to return to his home country:

“If you’re a good worker you get more work and are allowed to work overtime too”, he says.

Editorial:

Latest news: ILO critical of Sweden’s handling of the Laval case (Apr 16, 2013) Sweden’s Labour Court and ”lex Laval” comes under severe criticism from the International Labour Organisation, giving the Swedish government plenty of food for thought.; Iceland: Banking staff face health problems after crash (Apr 16, 2013) The health of banking staff has deteriorated since the 2008 Icelandic banking crash. Those who lost their jobs and found new ones are doing better than those who stayed in their original jobs. The number of bank workers visting health clinics doubled between 2008 and 2012.; Working environment one important key to get Swedes to work for longer (Apr 16, 2013) On 9 April the Swedish pension group presented its final report ‘Measures for a longer working life’. As we live longer we need to work for longer, and the review recommends establishing a flexible ‘a recommended retirement age’ for pensions, linked to life expectancy.; ILO: No extra jobs for youths despite older workers’ retirement (Apr 08, 2013) Europe must handle rising youth unemployment as well as an ageing population. The fact that young people don’t step into jobs which are vacated might seem like a paradox, but this is what is happening according to the International Labour Organisation, which stages a major conference in Oslo between 8 and 11 April.; OECD: Norway’s welfare system needs reform to keep people with mental issues in work (Mar 08, 2013) Norway’s sickness benefit system allowing 100 percent compensation from day one is too generous. Financial incentives for all parties - employees and employers, unions, municipalities, schools and mental health care services - should help them take responsibility. That is the OECD’s message to Norway.; All news

Recent articles: Editorial: Bad working conditions under pressure (Apr 16, 2013) Comments What do you do if your colleague works twice as long at half the pay that you get? There are trades and individuals who gravely exploit cheap labour, and in times of crisis many will accept a lot in order to get a job. What is being done in the Nordic region to make sure labour market rules are being followed? The fight against social dumping is this month’s theme in the Nordic Labour Journal.; ILO: Europe’s youth must get jobs and regain their confidence (Apr 16, 2013) Insight The ILO will help put the youth guarantee into practice and make sure €6bn granted by the EU will be used to get Europe’s youth into work. The ILO will play a stronger role in helping crisis-hit European countries to improve the economic, social and political consequences of the crisis and to reestablish trust in the countries.; Greenland’s new leader inspired by Mandela (Apr 16, 2013) Portrait Greenland politics is literally on the move after the 12 March elections. Boxes, lever arch files and personal belongings are strewn around corridors of the devolved government in the centre of Nuuk, while newly elected members move into their new offices, and meeting rooms are changing owners.; Editorial: The many reasons for gender equality (Mar 08, 2013) Comments The Nordic Labour Journal’s gender equality barometer, the third in as many years, shows progress for women’s representation in Nordic power positions by one percentage point in 2012 in relation to a 50/50 gender distribution.; Katrín Jakobsdóttir - party leader during times of change (Mar 08, 2013) Portrait She is young, skilled and popular and has just been elected party leader for Iceland’s Left-Green Movement (VG). She will lead her party into parliamentary elections at the end of April, under what for Iceland are unusual circumstances were the former party leader is one of the party’s strongest candidates in the election.; Editorial: Labour migrants head North (Feb 08, 2013) Comments Iro came first. She arrived from Greece to study. Then the crisis hit, Iro found a job and stayed. Now her brother Dimitris has joined her to look for work in Norway. Do they represent a wave of job seekers from crisis-hit southern Europe to the Nordic region, we wonder in this month’s theme.; All articles

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Greenland's Aleqa Hammond inspired by Nelson Mandela

Greenland's new government has put reconciliation and forgiveness with the old colonial power Denmark on the agenda.

It is directly inspired by South Africa's process which has been running since the fall of Apartheid in 1994.

Aleqa Hammond has been inspired by Nelson Mandela's book 'Conversations with myself' from 2010, which she recently finished reading

“The book made me aware of how important it is to put a people’s mental liberation process into words and action. And you need a government behind this process which understands why it is important,” explains Aleqa Hammond, who underlines the main point of this process.

“This is not about a war between two countries or a liberation. It is about reconciliation, understanding and respect for the desires we have as a people. And it on this Mandela’s book has touched me deeply and given me inspiration for how we can do it,” says the Prime Minister.