Nordic Region
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Active old age and solidarity between generations
(Feb 09, 2012) Never before has so many lived for so long and been so healthy into such old age. In a few years there will be far more centenarians and people who will live for 20 to 30 years past their retirement age. Is Europe ready?
Age is no barrier
(Feb 09, 2012) We must demystify old age. That was the message at the Copenhagen conference marking the beginning of the European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity Between Generations 2012. Europe’s age distribution is rapidly changing. The Danish Minster for Employment, Mette Frederiksen, pointed out there will be fewer young people in the labour market than people outside as early as in 2017. She said older people need to work a bit longer. The demographic challenges were also top of the agenda when Sweden’s Prime minister invited nine of his colleagues to the Northern Future Forum. As we live longer we must work for longer, goes the slogan in Norway. Why do Icelandic men work longer than anybody else? What do employers and authorities do to prolong the careers of older people? The Nordic Labour Journal focuses on points of view and debates emerging from our changing demographics.
Danes need to increase productivity
(Jan 31, 2012) The Danish economy is only slowly and very unevenly recovering from the financial crisis which is sweeping across most of Europe, says the OECD. Productivity growth is one of the main problems.
Editorial: The proof is in the pudding
(Dec 12, 2011) Social sustainability must become as obvious as a sustainable climate or environment, says Hillevi Engström, Sweden’s Minister of Labour. Like her Nordic colleagues she has a drive to open up the labour market for people with disabilities.
Nordic ministers want a more open working life
(Dec 12, 2011) How do you open up the labour market for more people with disabilities? It is a hot topic. Despite crisis and unemployment taking hold, labour ministers keep their strategic focus on mobilising more people to join working life. They highlight the long-term need for labour and that all have the right to be fully part of working and social life. The challenge is to get working life partners to back their initiatives.
Loa Brynjulfsdottir wants to defend the collective agreement model
(Dec 12, 2011) Loa Brynjulfsdottir is the new general secretary at the Council of Nordic Trade Unions, NFS. Her top priority is to further defend the Nordic collective agreement model. It is under pressure from the more regulations-based way in which labour market issues are dealt with within the EU.
Nordic cooperation for 2012 focuses on broad participation
(Dec 12, 2011) The welfare state in a Nordic perspective is the theme for Norway’s 2012 presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers. One priority will be the inclusion of exposed social groups in the labour market. The social partners will be important contributors during the presidency.
What do border obstacles cost the Nordic region?
(Dec 12, 2011) Is it possible to calculate how much the Nordic countries are loosing because of the many remaining border obstacles affecting the labour market? According to Copenhagen Economics no border obstacles would mean 3,000 to 6,000 more cross-border commuters. If all of them came out of unemployment it would save 4.2bn Danish kroner (€56m).
Welfare state and social partners’ cooperation
(Nov 13, 2011) Cooperation with the social partners is central when politicians in Norway and Denmark sit down to write new political programmes - be it Denmark’s new government programme or the programme for Norway’s 2012 presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers.
”Change or die” - mobilising and modernising unions
(Nov 13, 2011) From January 2007 until January 2011 Swedish trade unions lost 273,000 members. Worst hit was the Swedish Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) and the lowest numbers of union membership was found among young people and people of foreign heritage. But unions are not passively watching the fall in membership numbers - on the contrary, they are mobilising to reach old and new members.
