In Focus
Closing down the Faroes to attract more tourists
The Faroe Islands are closing down. Damaged nature will be fixed. The Prime Minister for the 18 green islands in the North Atlantic is being very clear: No tourists for an entire weekend. But the Faroes were not closed down. It was all a well-prepared PR stunt to attract more tourists to the country.
Iceland’s tourism becomes a hot environmental topic
Tourists drowning at sea. Tourists dying in bus accidents. Tourists driving illegally off road and getting stuck in the middle of an active geothermal area. They do serious damage to nature just to post pictures of themselves and their tyre tracks on social media.
Sustainable tourism in Åland – no Coca-Cola or Norwegian salmon
Åland was first to implement the Green Key certification scheme for restaurants in Finland. Among the pioneers was Pub Stallhagen, where chef Johanna Dahlgren has done a huge job both as an inspirator and educator.
Åland: many travellers, far fewer overnighters
Åland has just under 30 000 citizens, and more than two million annual visitors. This must mean the place is literally swarming with travellers, right?
Is overtourism a threat to the Nordics, or can the sector become sustainable?
We have all seen the pictures of the queue to get to the top of Mount Everest, gigantic cruise ships docking in Venice and anti-tourist protests in Barcelona. Mass tourism has taken a step towards becoming “overtourism”.
How to get Danes to retire later – like Norwegians and Swedes do
Norwegians and Swedes retire later than their Danish neighbours, partly because their pensions keep growing with each extra year they spend in the labour market. This is one of the 11 good reasons a new report highlights for Denmark to learn from what Sweden and Norway do.
A tough tone between EU and national courts
Right now, Nordic labour ministries are busy working with two EU directives. The directive on the posting of workers is being expanded, while a new directive on transparent and predictable working conditions is to be implemented.
“It is our environments which make us handicapped”
Kristine Ronæss Årdal has cerebral palsy, and certain environments make integration difficult. In her experience, positive attitudes combined with physical facilitation is often easier to achieve than many think.
Inclusion on a labour market with ever increasing demands
Inclusion is something which all the Nordic countries treasure. Yet while they agree on the goal, they often use different measures and have different ideas for how the labour market should work. How, for instance, does an education system using a lot of workplace training impact on those who do not finish their education? Does strong employment protection help youths?
Torstein Lerhol is responsible for 700 staff. Now he wants to become mayor.
Torstein Lerhol can only move one finger, but feels he can contribute to society just like anybody else thanks to the support he gets from his home municipality of Vang in Oppland, Norway. He wants to give something back. That is why he will run for mayor this autumn.
ILO and the Nordics: At the frontline in fight for the future of work
There was a positive atmosphere as the ILO Director-General and representatives from the Nordic ministries of labour gathered in Iceland to discuss the challenges around the future of work. The Nordic model has proved to be adaptable to rapid and major change before, and the development of new technology is something people can actually control.
Equal pay: a fight between genders or between the rich and poor?
Society treasures resources and power more than anything. If we do not deal with economic inequality we will get nowhere, said the leader of the Icelandic trade union Efling, Sólveig Anna Jónsdóttir, during a panel debate at the Nordic conference The Future of Work, held in Reykjavik between 4th-5th April.
Parental leave in Iceland gives dad a strong position
Since Iceland introduced nine months parental leave with three months earmarked fathers, their participation in childcare has changed radically – in a good way. Mothers return to work earlier, and get back to working ordinary hours faster. Daddy leave has been the main driver in this development.
ILO's DG Guy Ryder finds inspiration from problem-solving Iceland
Why does the Director-General of ILO choose Iceland as one of his last stops before the organisation’s centenary celebrations kick off? Why Reykjavík and not Paris or Rome?
Iceland’s equal pay standard – the employer’s best weapon?
From Reykjavík in the south to Sauðárkrókur in the north – companies across Iceland are introducing the equal pay standard which aims to eradicate gender pay gaps. But the reform also faces criticism from some who say it restricts employees’ opportunities to secure pay increases and bonuses.
Digitalisation and new forms of employment: what’s happening under the surface?
We have yet to see dramatic change to the way people are employed in the Nordic region as a result of digitalisation and new ways of organising work. But the nature of work will change nevertheless. This could lead to conflicts of interests and friction between different work groups, says Fafo researcher Jon Erik Dølvik. He heads a major research project which will inform Nordic governments and the ILO.
Nordic power positions: a modest increase in gender equality
The past year has seen two new governments emerge in the Nordics, and several changes among the top brass in labour market. But there were only modest changes to the gender balance. Women get one point more and end up with 66 points in the NLJ’s gender equality barometer, where 100 points means equal power distribution between the genders in the Nordic countries. But Iceland overtakes Norway.
I wanted to spend time at home with my daughter
When Malte Conrad became a father three years ago, he wanted to take as much paid parental leave as possible. This summer he will be the father of twins, and wants to do it all again.
Danish opposition to EU rules on daddy leave
Danish men who would like more paternal leave get support from new EU rules. But there is broad opposition in the Danish parliament to what is being seen as the EU meddling in Danish family affairs.
Basic income made Finns happier
Finland’s basic income experience came to an end 2018. The 2,000 unemployed people who received a basic income for two years instead of other benefits did not work more in the end, but they grew happier.
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