When commuting becomes an obstacle race

Border obstacles can be instant traps. But they can also emerge much later as you enter retirement or become unemployed. That’s how the Council of Nordic Trade Unions and the Nordic Association describe the problem in a letter to Sweden’s parliament. Similar letters have reached other Nordic parliaments as part of the more or less simultaneous cross-Nordic debate on border obstacles. Comprehensive work on mapping and finding solutions to Nordic border obstacles has just been completed. Politicians must now make decisions. These are not problems which only concern a small group of people who live along borders, or youths looking for work. Half a million Nordic citizens have either moved to another Nordic country or have been cross border commuting in the past ten years. Nordic Labour Journal takes a close look at the statistics and who the commuters really are.

Mar 08, 2012 | Photo: Gunnar V. Andrésson

Valgerður Þórdís Snæbjarnardóttir is among those that have been afflicted by the border obstacles. Despite contributing to Norway’s national insurance fund since 2003, she receives no maternity pay.

EDITORIAL:

Latest news: How about a personal trainer - for your brain? (Apr 15, 2012) The Nordic Labour Journal can now add another job to the list of new occupations: ‘personal brainer’. The title holder is Finnish Reidar Wasenius. He recently made a 20 years old dream come true and opened a training centre for brains - BRIIM Center - in Helsinki.; Wide support for early retirement and flexjob reform (Mar 08, 2012) There’s an increased drive in Denmark to stop young people ending up in benefit traps. Meanwhile there are cuts in subsidies to the flexjob scheme and early retirement.; OECD: Norway trumps sick leave costs of all industrial countries (Feb 17, 2012) Norway’s unemployment is low and employment is high. But the costs related to sick leave and early retirement are double that of the OECD country average based on GDP according to the OECD Economic Survey of Norway.; The Commission wants to exclude small businesses from working environment rules (Feb 10, 2012) In the Nordic countries small businesses must follow the same working environment rules as big businesses. Now the EU Commission wants to ease the regulations for smaller businesses.; OECD: health sector Finland’s problem (Feb 09, 2012) The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s economic survey of Finland shows the country has done well during the debt crisis which has hit many Eurozone members. The country is not facing any imminent crisis, but needs a comprehensive reform of the state health sector.; All news

Recent articles: Editorial: The unacceptable consequences of border obstacles (Apr 15, 2012) Comments A long and comprehensive job to find and solve the key problems met by Nordic citizens working in a different Nordic country is nearing its end.; Editorial: One step forward and two steps back? (Mar 08, 2012) Comments Nordic women are loosing power in politics and society, according to Nordic Labour Journal’s barometer. Is this really the case? Denmark’s Minister for Equality promises a policy in high gear, and the chairman of Carlsberg’s executive board is going for 40 percent women on the board, but says no thank you to any legislation in Denmark. Can they achieve a better balance of power, like Iceland has?; Unemployment can be defined away (Mar 08, 2012) Research The definition of employment and unemployment differs from country to country. A comparative historical perspective shows the political context - how the problem is presented and how its constituent parts change - steers our understanding and that the standard views of employment no longer are relevant in countries like the US or France, examples which social historian Noel Whiteside has been looking at.; Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir: The gender pay gap is now the most important equality issue (Mar 08, 2012) Portrait Iceland’s Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir has managed what many thought near impossible. She has cut public spending in the wake of the market crash without negatively impacting Iceland’s social security system.; Editorial: The good life as a centenarian (Feb 09, 2012) Comments The good life as a centenarian is so far reserved for the very few, but this year the first post war generation turns 67. This is a watershed. Already in 2017 there will be fewer people in work than outside of work. Active ageing has never been more relevant.; Trine Lise Sundnes: Nordic workers’ voice at the ILO (Jan 31, 2012) Portrait The most important labour-regulating conventions were first introduced in Europe before being exported to countries elsewhere. Yet these same rights are now under threat from European countries looking for more ways to cut costs in the face of the economic crisis, says Trine Lise Sundnes, who represents Nordic workers on the ILO’s governing body.; All articles

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Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir: The gender pay gap is now the most important equality issue

“Achieving equal pay for equal work is taking so long it breaks my heart,” says Prime Minister Sigurðardóttir. In an interview with Nordic Labour Journal she calls the pay gap today's most important issue and talks about how the Icelandic government works to improve gender equality in other areas, like female boardroom quotas. The Icelandic law comes into force in 2013.