Co-operation

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.

Nordic ministers want a more open working life

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.

Nordic cooperation for 2012 focuses on broad participation

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.

Collective bargaining under pressure as union membership plummets

Danes - especially young men - abandon trade unions with record speed new figures show. Experts believe it can undermine the social partners’ self regulation - the so-called flexicurity model.

Sweden’s Minister for Nordic Coordination Ewa Björling has a soft spot for mines

“We want to do something for the mining industry. There has never been Nordic cooperation in that field. Right now there’s a Klondike situation for mining in Sweden, Norway and Finland. If you include Greenland there’s a great Danish interest too,” says Ewa Björling, Sweden’s Minister for Nordic Cooperation.

New Norwegian drive to find jobs for people with impaired work abilities

Organisations for people with disabilities along with the social partners didn’t hold back their praise when Norway’s Minister for Labour Hanne Bjurstrøm and Minister for Children, Equality and Social Inclusion Audun Lysbakken presented their ‘Job strategy for people with impaired work ability‘ during the presentation of Norway’s 2012 budget on 6 October.

Ole Norrback: Border obstacles are all about political will

While Nordic politicians talk about the challenges of globalisation and how to turn the Nordic region into a dynamic region of growth, new border obstacles emerge to complicate lives of citizens and businesses alike.

The ten most serious border obstacles

Border obstacles are not only things that make it difficult for Nordic citizens to settle down and work in a different Nordic country from their own. They are also problems which arise when you move back home, when you fall ill or when you need to draw your pension. NLJ and the Freedom of Movement Forum have drawn up a list of the ten most important border obstacles for working life.

New ways of life increase need for Nordic ombudsman

Border obstacles have been on the political agenda since the Common Nordic Labour Market was established in 1954. When one obstacle is removed, another pops up. This is not only because Nordic countries introduce new legislation without considering the consequences for neighbouring countries, or because they adapt different EU directives. It is also because our relationship with the nationstate has changed. Just like the terms 'married' or 'single' no longer suffice to describe modern family life, we are increasingly living a life on both sides of the border.

Editorial: Language - a source for joint understanding

"Have you heard your employer use the word 'safety' and do you know what that word means?" asks the language teacher at Vestegnen's Language and Competence Centre south of Copenhagen. The quote touches on the depth of the challenges posed by not understanding a language.

Norway's Rigmor Aasrud to uncover the myth of a uniform Nordic region

Norway's Cooperation Minister Rigmor Aasrud wants to engage the Nordic countries' grass roots when Norway takes on the Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2012. She feels the Nordic welfare models could be a theme which could appeal to both the general public and stimulate debate among politicians. Other important issues will be a better understanding of the Scandinavian languages and simplified border controls.

Globalisation gives life to new Nordic stories

How can Nordic countries better cooperate and become stronger in the face of global challenges? How can they join forces to increase growth and attract the right skills? Which initiatives are best to get people on the outside of the labour market into working life? Accelerating globalisation is changing the story of the Nordic region.

The employers' voice in the European dialogue

Will the social partners reach agreement on the working time directive like they managed to come to an agreement on work-related stress? Initial talks have begun but nobody knows how it will end. The social dialogue is nevertheless playing a part in Europe's policy development.

Meeting of Nordic Labour Ministers: Turning point for youth politics

How do you reach youths who are not in education nor employment? How do you motivate youth to finish their education? How do you secure a safe transition between school and working life? These were among the questions when labour ministers met to discuss youth unemployment in Copenhagen on 25 November.

Healthy, competent citizens: the Nordic plan for global competitiveness

Giant pan-Nordic drive for health and well-being takes off.

Finland's Anni Sinnemäki: passionate about an individually tailored welfare system

Finland's Minister of Labour wants to make individuals visible. Young people should not be seen as a uniform group but as separate people with different needs. In Finland a lot of time has been spent analysing each person's situation, and as a result, she says, the state can offer more rational measures tailored to the individual's needs.

Red cabinet member - impatient in the long run

Audun Lysbakken swears that it is he - and not the media - who will set the agenda for his ministry's work. That means working on long-term, preventative measures to avoid people becoming social outsiders - results of which will not show up on statistics for another 10 to 15 years.

Norwegian tripartite agreement on sick leave

Norway's government and the social partners have reached a new agreement aimed at reducing sick leave. The agreement covers the next four years and prolongs the 2001 Inclusive Workplace Agreement.

Inger Støjberg - fighting unemployment with cross-party cooperation

Just as the economic crisis hit Denmark in April 2009, Inger Støjberg took up her position as Minister of Employment and Gender Equality. She was already known as a vocal spokeswoman for the Danish Liberal Party. Now she is the promoter of broad agreements with the opposition.

Joint fight against long-term unemployment

Getting the long-term unemployed back into work is hard. You need focus, determination, the will to try new things and good cooperation between companies, job centres and education, says Denmark's Minister of Labour Inger Støjberg. She is gathering inspiration for a new initiative against long-term unemployment.