News — Nordic Labour Journal

Nordic Council Helsinki session: Promising deeper labour market cooperation

(Nov 03, 2017) The 69th session of the Nordic Council in Helsinki had a celebratory air as Finland was marking its centenary as an independent nation. Labour market issues formed a common thread throughout the session.

Continuing education gets huge push from Danish government and social partners

(Nov 02, 2017) The Danish government and the social partners have agreed to spend nearly 2.5 billion Danish kroner (€335m) on continuing education for more workers. The agreement has broad political backing, but one labour market expert wonders whether it goes far enough.

The Nordic Labour Journal – also on Facebook

(Nov 01, 2017) You can now access news and debates about the Nordic labour market on Facebook. The Nordic Labour Journal highlights trends and policies, and also stories from working life.

Danish sharing economy strategy just a first step

(Oct 20, 2017) The government’s long-awaited sharing economy strategy is a first, small step towards regulating the sharing economy in Denmark, but the social partners agree more needs to be done.

Native language disappearing from Icelandic workplaces

(Oct 20, 2017) Iceland is experiencing enormous growth. Every year thousands of foreigners arrive to help Icelanders in the labour market. Tourism represents the largest area of growth, followed by the construction industry. The English language is increasingly being used within both trades. Many Icelanders are worried about the Icelandic language’s position in the multicultural society.

TBU at 50: Wage formation – the Norwegian model’s unique attribute

(Oct 05, 2017) The basis for the Norwegian version of the Nordic model is a shared understanding of reality before the parties begin wage negotiations. The result has been few conflicts and narrow pay gaps.

Icelandic continuing education: “Employees became more interested in their jobs"

(Sep 15, 2017) One in three adult Icelanders had no more than an elementary school education in the year 2000, and got no continuing education through their work. Since then, the social partners have developed a learning centre for further training of people with lower education levels. This has helped reduce the share of lower educated. It used to be 33 percent, now it is 25 percent of the low-educated workforce.

Agreement on what constitutes minimum rates of pay for construction workers in Sweden

(Sep 13, 2017) After nearly ten years of quarrelling, the Swedish trade union for construction workers (Byggnads) and their counterparts at the Swedish Construction Federation (BI) have agreed what the “minimum rates of pay” for constructions workers posted to Sweden should comprise. The parties think the same conditions should apply for public procurement of construction projects.

Erna Solberg heads for four more years as Norwegian Prime Minister

(Sep 12, 2017) Erna Solberg carries on as Norway’s Prime Minister, but with a weaker parliamentary mandate. The Labour Party was the looser in Monday’s election. The Centre Party gained the most ground, carried forward by rural areas protesting against what they see as a threat to municipal independence.

Challenging globalisation’s winners: The OECD wants to bridge the divides

(Jun 22, 2017) The OECD’s Stefano Scarpetta calls the new narrative a paradigm shift. We must change the ideas which have created an increasing gap between rich and poor, says Secretary-General Angel Gurría: Economic growth is not enough, we need a new vision for inclusive and sustainable development. The social dimension broke through clearly at the OECD Forum 2017.

Everybody wants to know about refugees’ skills

(Jun 22, 2017) While the Nordic countries tightened border controls and made it harder for refugees to seek asylum, they also changed their policies to help refugees get quicker access to the labour market. In Norway the asylum seekers can now register their skills by themselves.

Grete Brochmann on refugee policies: Nordics more coordinated now

(Jun 22, 2017) The Nordic countries are more coordinated now than they were during the major influx of refugees in 2015, believes Grete Brochmann. She has led the two latest inquiries into immigration to Norway.

Swedish port conflict could lead to change in legislation

(Jun 21, 2017) A long-running conflict in the port of Gothenburg has made the Swedish government consider changes in regulations covering industrial action. The reason the conflict has lasted for so long is a seemingly unsolvable fight for positions between two trade unions which both represent dockworkers.

The platform economy: How to regulate working life when algorithms are the boss?

(May 26, 2017) Regulation is a key word when the Nordic countries discuss the platform economy. The challenge is to secure good working conditions for the individual, a level playing field for businesses and tax revenues for the state.

Denmark’s second largest city explores the sharing economy

(May 24, 2017) Citizens of Aarhus municipality can move around in shared electric cars and cultivate the soil in new city gardens on municipal land. The government has designated the municipality as a pilot city for the sharing economy, and a range of activities are already up and running.