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The social pillar strengthened after EU Porto summit
May 10, 2021 The EU’s informal summit in Porto, Portugal, on 7 - 8 May ended in a declaration which strengthens the social pillar’s importance in the Union. To the relief of Nordic member states, the introduction of statutory minimum wages was not mentioned in the final document.
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Will English become the new Nordic language of cooperation?
Apr 29, 2021 Which language should the Nordic region choose for its future cooperation? The common Scandinavian which is spoken by three-quarters of the Nordic population? Or do we take the consequences of an ever decreasing understanding of languages and turn to English? Is the Nordic identity at all built on a common language?
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Greenland chooses new government in protest against controversial mining
Apr 29, 2021 Greenland’s natural resource fairytale must not come at the expense of Greenlanders’ health, welfare and job opportunities. That was the clear signal from voters as they went to the polls to on 6 April 2021 and got a new coalition government.
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Sexual harassment: new knowledge needed
Apr 29, 2021 Sexual harassment in the care sector has had less attention than harassment in other sectors. Patients behaving inappropriately is often seen as part of the job. “High tolerance levels represent a problem,” says Bryndis Elfa Valdemarsdottir, who has been heading the Icelandic part of a Nordic project looking at this problem.
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Nordic inspiration behind new EU directive
Apr 06, 2021 Yet another EU directive dealing with wages is in the pipeline. This time it is about pay transparency and the aim is to improve compliance with the principles of equal pay for men and women. The proposal is said to be inspired by good experiences from Denmark and Sweden, but differs quite a bit from what is common practice in those countries.
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Future Nordic mobility depends on crisis cooperation
Mar 24, 2021 Increased Nordic cooperation is needed before Nordic citizens can regain pre-Corona levels of confidence to apply for jobs, study or buy second homes in a different Nordic country. That was the message at a conference on border obstacles on Nordic Day 2021.
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Finland and Sweden: one year, two cities, one closed border
Mar 24, 2021 In Sweden, the talk was about Finland “closing the border to Sweden”. In Finland, it was called “necessary domestic border controls”. It has been more than a year since the Corona pandemic changed everyday life in the most integrated region of the Nordics – the twin cities of Tornio and Haparanda.
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The Nordics – a family in need of therapy?
Mar 24, 2021 The pandemic has challenged both the Nordic cooperation and trust between Nordic citizens. But many of the challenges ahead call for joint action on climate, welfare and sustainable development. The Nordic cooperation is deadly necessary, underlines Finland, which holds the Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2021.
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LGBTI certification – more than a rainbow flag outside the building
Mar 24, 2021 Insecurity can stifle conversations about LGBTI – better to say nothing than risk choosing the wrong word. At Dunker Culture House in Helsingborg, knowledge gained from certification has had a positive effect on both visitors and the work environment. It has also increased self-confidence among staff.
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No Swedish OECD head – controversial Australian wins
Mar 23, 2021 Australian Mathias Cormann is the OECD’s new Secretary-General after beating Swedish candidate Cecilia Malmström. It has been 14 years since a new leader was elected for the organisation, which is made up of 37 industrialised countries.
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Global initiative to strengthen social dialogue
Mar 23, 2021 The Corona pandemic has shown the importance of making quick decisions – but these also need public support. That is why social dialogue is so important. Global Deal, launched by Sweden together with the OECD and the ILO, is one of the few initiatives looking at social dialogue from an international perspective.
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Minimum wages: ball back in EU Commission's court
Mar 19, 2021 The EU can adopt the European Commission’s proposed directive on minimum wages – as long as one article is deleted or changed. That was the answer from the Council of Ministers’ legal service after the Danish government requested a statement. The question now is what will be the Commission’s next step.
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International cooperation key to effective digitalisation
Mar 08, 2021 The Nordics are accelerating the digitalisation of society at least as fast as the rest of Europe. That brings advantages and challenges, according to Nordic and EU politicians who met for a webinar on digitalisation in early March.
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How have the Nordics managed the Corona crisis so far?
Feb 24, 2021 The Nordic countries have dealt with the economic crisis caused by the Corona pandemic in similar ways. As a result, unemployment is now falling back to more normal levels. A report from the Danish Technological Institute on commission from the Nordic Council of Ministers argues it is time to adjust the support measures.
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Women’s pay increases, men win at lifetime earnings
Feb 24, 2021 Swedish women's income averages 77.7% of that of men’s over a lifetime of work. This has not changed since 1995 and represents 3.2 million kronor (€319,000) on average. And government agencies contribute to this development concludes the Commission for gender-equal lifetime earnings in its first report.
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EU Court: Equal treatment for all, also among minorities
Feb 24, 2021 Can it be discrimination if an employer favours one person over another if both have some sort of disability? Yes, says the EU Court of Justice in a new ruling. The ban against discrimination does not apply only in relation to persons who are not disabled.
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