News — Nordic Labour Journal

EU agreement on mobility package

(Dec 13, 2019) After years of inquiries and difficult negotiations, EU countries have agreed on new rules for the road haulage sector. The new rules will be introduced in 2021 and will also cover Norway and Iceland.

Maria Mindhammar takes helm at Sweden's battered PES

(Dec 12, 2019) On 5 December Maria Mindhammar was appointed the new Director-General of the Swedish Public Employment Service. It is a job she gladly goes to, while also calling the situation at the Public Employment Service “exceptionally challenging”.

A gender change in the cleaning profession

(Nov 27, 2019) Cleaning is about to become a male-dominated occupation. It used to be nearly exclusively women who worked the mop. Now men, especially those with an immigrant background, are taking over according to a report from the Oslo Institute for Social Research.

New agreement for education on the Cap of the North

(Nov 27, 2019) The Arctic Vocational Foundation has secured funding from Sweden, Finland and Norway for a further four years of vocational training for youths. A total of 285 youths will be trained every year.

Nordic governments: Everyone must join the fight against climate change

(Nov 06, 2019) Fighting climate change is no longer a choice, but an absolute necessity which means our countries, our citizens and our industries must make great changes. That was the message from the Nordic prime ministers at the Nordic Council’s session in Stockholm.

Greenland needs new jobs and foreign labour

(Oct 20, 2019) There is an urgent need to create new jobs in Greenland’s mining and tourism industries. At the same time more foreign labour is needed, say the social partners.

Money can't buy you happiness in Iceland

(Oct 18, 2019) Families need decent wages in order to afford all the essentials. But high wages do not necessarily make families happy. There is no direct correlation between money and happiness, unless the family has real economic problems. The key to happiness is mainly spending time with family and friends.

Far more labour migrants to Poland than Poles to Norway

(Sep 24, 2019) For the second year running, Poland has received more labour migrants than any other OECD country. Meanwhile, fewer Poles travel to other European countries to work. This could lead to challenges for low-pay sectors in Nordic countries.

Oslo Foodora riders on strike

(Sep 19, 2019) It has become an increasingly common sight in many cities: Foodora’s bike riders home-delivering restaurant food. But right now in Oslo, hundreds of striking riders are cycling around to gather support for their demand for a collective agreement. Other countries are taking note.

Why did #metoo hit the Nordics differently?

(Sep 16, 2019) Two years after the #metoo movement exploded in social media and became a global phenomenon, Iceland’s Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir will be hosting an international conference on the issue in Reykjavik from 17 to 19 September.

What are the critical issues for Nordic trade unions?

(Sep 12, 2019) What goes on inside the head of a trade union leader? At the NFS congress in Malmö they were challenged to spend one minute to describe what they see as the greatest challenge going forward. Here are some of the answers:

Nordic trade unions: climate action must be fair

(Sep 12, 2019) ”There are no jobs on a dead planet” was the most cited slogan at the Nordic trade unions’ congress in Malmö from 3 - 5 September. The climate issue is at the forefront of the trade union movement’s mind too.

New technology leads to growing polarisation in the labour market

(Sep 12, 2019) Skilled jobs are on the rise both in the Nordic countries and elsewhere in the OECD, while routine jobs disappear. The challenge now is to help more people to develop their skills and to expand social security support to include those without permanent employment.

Nordic trade unions praise #metoo convention

(Jun 27, 2019) New international standards will protect everybody’s right to a world of work free from violence and harassment. Danish and other Nordic trade unions call it a great leap forward for workers globally and in the Nordic region. Danish employers doubt it will have much effect.

Who killed the Nordic model?

(Jun 27, 2019) If you read Helge Hvid’s and Eivind Falkum’s book about Work and Wellbeing in the Nordic Countries like a crime story, it becomes exciting. The two editors are trying to establish whether the Nordic model already has died, or is dying. But does the evidence hold?