News
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Should employees be compensated for working from home?
The Norwegian government is recommending that everyone who is able to, should work from home. The working environment act must be updated, argue labour market organisations.
4 minutes
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Iceland: Immigrants are better protected, says MIPEX
Sweden is still top, but Iceland saw the greatest increase in the 2020 MIPEX migrant integration policy index. The country’s index rose by seven points from 49 to 56 between 2014 and 2019, on a scale of 100. Sweden got 86 points, down one.
3 minutes -
Rovaniemi’s Santa is on his own a lot this year
Christmas music plays on speakers everywhere. The sun sets around 1.30 pm. Santa Claus Village in Finnish Lapland is like a wintery Las Vegas, but far less busy.
5 minutes
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Elves, dogs and reindeer suffer as tourists disappear from Arctic Circle
There seems to be more visitors to the post office than anywhere else in Rovaniemi’s Santa Claus Village – despite the risk of infection. Auli Sihvo has worked there for 20 years and seen how Santa has improved Lapland’s commercial pulling-power.
8 minutes
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War destitution created Lapland’s tourism boom. It began here.
The tourism industry in Finnish Lapland has a lot to thank Eleanor Roosevelt for. The presidential widow’s visit to Rovaniemi and the Arctic Circle set in motion an international Lapland industry. This year is the 70th anniversary of her visit.
5 minutes
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Covid threat to Nordic “julebord” tradition and restaurant survival
Julebord is a Christmas office party on steroids and a major tradition in Norway and Denmark. This season is already a crisis for restaurants and food providers say enterprise confederations. But at least there will probably be fewer #metoo situations.
5 minutes
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Sweden’s century-long relationship with the ILO
Sweden has had a relationship with the ILO for 100 years. Yet the country never ratified the labour organisation’s first convention. There have been tensions behind the scenes from time to time – like when the conventions have clashed with the Swedish model for collective agreements.
6 minutes
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A “Nordic”, independent Scotland post-Brexit?
The last time the Scots went to the polls to vote for or against independence from the United Kingdom, there was speculation whether an independent Scotland would seek to link up with the Nordic region. Next year things might get serious.
3 minutes
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East meets Nordics in EU road transport show-down
The Nordic countries are celebrating that the EU has finally approved rules aimed at fighting social dumping in the international road transport sector. Meanwhile, a number of low-pay countries in the east have asked the EU Court of Justice to annul them.
2 minutes -
Migration to the OECD nearly halved during Corona pandemic
As a result of the Corona pandemic, the number of migrants being granted visas and residence permits for an OECD country has fallen dramatically. During the first six months of 2020, the number fell by 46% compared to the same period last year, according to the OECD’s International Migration Outlook 2020.
4 minutes