Work Environment — Nordic Labour Journal

Norwegian government to tackle involuntary part-time work

(Sep 07, 2011) “Involuntary part-time work is a serious problem both for individuals and for society as a whole. It is the government’s goal to reduce involuntary part-time work and to make sure those who wish can get full-time employment,” says Minister of Labour Hanne Bjurstrøm.

TCO's Eva Nordmark: unions must be relevant to our time

(Jun 16, 2011) "The union's role is to be relevant in today's working life, which is considerably different from the time when my parents started working. Yet the basic values remain the same. As always the union is about the dream of freedom, development and having the chance to live a good life," says Eva Nordmark, newly elected chairperson for TCO.

Large differences in work environments and health among Danish workers

(Jun 14, 2011) A new major survey exposes marked changes both for the better and for the worse in how Danes experience their own work environment and health.

Free workplace language training in Denmark

(May 10, 2011) All foreigners with permanent residency in Denmark are entitled to Danish language lessons. Many language courses are held in the workplace, and businesses see the benefits of in-house language training.

Staffing agencies challenging the Nordic model

(Apr 07, 2011) From time to time 'The Great Debate" over the role of staffing agencies rolls out in the Nordic countries, despite the fact they provide a only a small percentage of the workforce.

Black market cleaning a major problem for Norway's cleaning industry

(Apr 07, 2011) Are staffing agencies just one step on the road towards an even more flexible labour marked, where those performing services become their own employers? NHO Service, the employers' organisation for Norway's cleaning industry, is sounding the alarm over an increase in cleaning businesses from 2,000 to 6,500 over just a few years.

EU directive on temporary agency work could reduce social dumping

(Apr 07, 2011) Trade unions believe the EU directive on temporary agency work will see fewer staffing agencies pushing down salaries and working conditions.

Unique collective agreement for Sweden's staffing agencies

(Apr 07, 2011) Staffing agencies in Sweden are experiencing a boom. In the last quarter of 2010 turnovers were up 42 percent on 2009 figures. Staffing agencies do however provoke conflicting feelings and staffing was one of the key themes during the latest collective bargaining process.

We're not always happiest out in the open

(Apr 07, 2011) To fulfil the promises of a better working life where people want to work for longer, we need new ways of reorganise the way we work - physically. Nordic Labour Journal has visited two workplaces in Finland where the new office space is already a reality.

Fatal accidents in Nordic workplaces nearly exclusively involve men

(Apr 07, 2011) Men in the Nordic region are involved in fatal accidents at work far more often than women. 1,157 men died in work accidents between 2003 and 2008, compared to only 85 women.