The Nordic countries will celebrate 60 years of labour market
cooperation in May 2014. The fight against youth unemployment and
unemployment among other exposed groups will be a main focus throughout
the year. Longterm unemployment and cooperation between educational
institutions and labour markets will also be key issues in the coming
year.
Reykjavik will be hosting a jubilee conference in October, where
relevant research will be presented along with the results from the
cooperation aimed at removing red tape surrounding the free movement of
people. Future challenges will also be identified. There will also be a
government ministers’ meeting and a consolation meeting between the
social partners.
New border obstacle council
Iceland will restructure the Freedom of Movement Forum and create a
Freedom of Movement Council to be led by former government minister and
member of Iceland’s Parliament Siv Friðleifsdóttir.
The Freedom of Movement Council’s aim will be to remove border
obstacles and work towards an open and well-functioning common labour
market. The Council will abolish five to ten border obstacles a year to
help make life easier for the 70.000 people who cross Nordic borders
every day.
“People and businesses should be able to cross our borders as
unhindered as possible,” Iceland’s Minister of Social Affairs Eygló
Harðardóttir told the Nordic Council of Ministers during a recent Oslo
meeting.
There are also plans for a Nordic conference on education and on
business and institution traineeships. The conference will focus on how
the education system can be better linked up to businesses in order to
help young people workplace training.
Iceland and the other Nordic countries have earlier given businesses
the chance to take on trainees as part of a vocational education, but
that trend has diminished partly because of a weaker economy. This
development will now be debated.
The key question of equality
Gender equality will naturally also feature on the agenda for 2014.
Part-time work, equal pay, a gender-divided labour market and the
work-life balance are all issues which will be discussed.
Senior advisor Ingi Valur Jóhannsson at Iceland’s Ministry of Social
Affairs says the conference will see the results from a new survey
mapping why women choose to work more part-time than men.
The June 2014 conference on masculinity and the study of masculinity
in the Nordic region should also be interesting. Two renowned
masculinity and gender researches will deliver the conference keynote
speeches; the Australian Professor Raewyn Connell from the University
of Sydney and the American Professor Michael Kimmel from the State
University of New York.
“The Nordic region is unique and has been leading the way on gender
equality,” says project leader Ásta Jóhannsdóttir, who is responsible
for planning the conference on behalf of NFMM, Nordic Association for
Research on Men and Masculinity.
She points out that the study of masculinity also holds a unique
position in the Nordic region, perhaps as a result of parental
leave.
“There is often talk about the Nordic region having better welfare
and gender equality compared to other parts of Europe. That’s why I
felt it was important to focus on masculinity,” she continues.
Ásta Jóhannsdóttir is hoping to see at least 150 participants at the
conference on masculinity. And she is optimistic. She has already
received 87 abstracts of various reports from lecturers around the
world.
