News
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Sweden lands new landmark main agreement
Finally, the large labour law reform which has been called a structural shift for the Swedish model is in place. LO, PTK Council for Negotiation and Cooperation and the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise have signed the new basic agreement on “security, transition and employment protection”.
3 minutes
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Nordic focus on new jobs without discrimination
Upskilling and gender equality will be central to the Nordic countries’ labour market cooperation in the coming years.
2 minutes -
After a couple of yellow cards – EU agreement on Swedish startup jobs
Sweden will be able to spend 404 million euro in state support for so-called etableringsjobb – or entry jobs – for newly arrived and long-term unemployed people. That is now clear as the European Commission has approved a completely new model for encouraging companies to hire people who find it particularly hard to access the…
2 minutes -
Hopes dashed on the Finnish-Russian border
“Parikkala is a municipality people usually drive right past,” says Mayor Vesa Huuskonen, with only a hint of humour. Parikkala is an agricultural municipality with an ageing population in South-Western Finland, right on the border with Russia. Plans for an international border crossing have been scrapped because of the changed international situation.
7 minutes
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Border trade crisis: Zsar’s luxury fashion tempts neither Russians nor Finns in Vaalimaa
Some of the shops in Zsar Outlet Village are having closing down sales. Most offer 30 to 70% discounts on well-known brands meant to tempt Russian tourists to shop right next to the border crossing with Finland.
5 minutes
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Parikkala goes for maids, whitefish and an unusual sculpture park
There is an old saying that “the maids from Parikkala and the whitefish from Simpeljärvi are better than anywhere else”. The maid is now a sculpture in the city centre while the whitefish is swimming in the lake. But a sculpture park with 255 concrete statues doing yoga is by far the biggest draw.
5 minutes
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Arvika: Where EU temporary protection directive is turned into housing, jobs and schooling
By May 2022, 12.5 million Ukrainians were fleeing the war. 5.5 million have fled abroad and are covered by the EU’s temporary protection directive. 134 of them have arrived in Arvika in Sweden’s Western Värmland, which has now signed an agreement with the Swedish Migration Board to settle refugees long term.
9 minutes
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Nordics split as EU minimum wage proposal delayed
Is time almost up for the proposed European minimum wage? Much is pointing in that direction. The war in Ukraine and the French presidential election has put breaks on the issue. And there is still great disagreement within the EU.
7 minutes
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Siri starts speaking Icelandic “in 12-18 months”
It is hard making small languages part of a digital environment dominated by a few IT giants. Icelandic authorities have fought to make Icelandic a part of the IT environment, which is increasingly important as more and more things are operated with our voices. Just ask Alexa, Siri and Bixby. Not in Icelandic though, they…
5 minutes -
The Nordic Council of Ministers’ Secretary General steps down in 2023
Finnish Paula Lehtomäki, who became Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2019, has decided to step down in March next year at the end of her contract.
2 minutes