Labour Law — Nordic Labour Journal

Six MEPs' views on statutory minimum wages

(Jan 22, 2021) The proposed directive on statutory minimum wages has still not been through the European Parliament. But just over one year ago, with a clear 422-131 majority, it called on the Commission to present a proposal to secure a fair minimum wage for all workers in the Union.

Four researchers' take on the minimum wage

(Jan 22, 2021) A positive move for low-income earners in Europe or the hollowing out of the Nordic collective agreement model? When researchers look at the EU’s proposed directive on statutory minimum wages, the analysis changes according to the area of research and perspectives.

Nordic labour law must face the future

(Dec 10, 2020) Is Nordic labour law ready to face the future of work? New technology and ways of working are already putting pressure on established structures, but experts believe there is light at the end of the tunnel.

17 types of employment – and the rest

(Dec 10, 2020) The Nordics have not become a region of freelancers, but there is a growing multitude of different forms of labour. The Corona pandemic has also made life for people with non-standard work even more precarious, confirmed experts at a Nordic conference on the future of work.

Swedish employment law – a drama with many acts

(Nov 11, 2020) The rules covering the labour market still create heated debate in Swedish politics. Time and again, this issue has challenged the government’s survival. It also highlights disagreements between the governing Social Democrats and the Swedish Trade Union Confederation LO.

When Uber met the Nordics

(Jun 02, 2020) The taxi platform company Uber spent little time getting four Nordic countries to change their legislation to better suit the company’s business model. Despite this, the number of people working for Uber remains low, according to a report on the platform economy commissioned by the Nordic Council of Ministers.

Labour Ministers invite Nicolas Schmit to meeting

(Feb 16, 2020) Nordic governments are joining forces to explain the Nordic labour market model to EU lawmakers. The Labour Ministers have sent a letter to the new Commissioner Nicolas Schmit, inviting him to a meeting in Copenhagen in early April to discuss the Nordic countries’ chosen priorities.

How Norway got EU benefit regulations wrong for seven years

(Dec 16, 2019) What lies behind Norway’s scandalous miscarriage of justice that led to 2,400 people being branded benefit cheats because the state misinterpreted the EEA agreement? And how could this have gone on for seven years?

EU agreement on mobility package

(Dec 13, 2019) After years of inquiries and difficult negotiations, EU countries have agreed on new rules for the road haulage sector. The new rules will be introduced in 2021 and will also cover Norway and Iceland.

Fundamental misinterpretation led to Norwegian legal scandal

(Nov 27, 2019) It has been called Norway’s worst ever miscarriage of justice. Thousands of people were accused of cheating the benefits system when accepting unemployment allowance and other support while living abroad. It then turned out it was never illegal – as long as it happened within the EEA.

Eva Nordmark's task: to liberalise Sweden’s employment act and reform the employment service

(Oct 18, 2019) When former TCO President Eva Nordmark accepted to replace Ylva Johansson as Sweden’s Minister for Employment, she also accepted to follow up on proposals she had been critical of in the past, like the liberalisation of the employment act.

Sweden to strengthen preventative work against discrimination

(Oct 18, 2019) Many employers are not aware that they must work on active measures to promote equal rights and opportunities for their employees. So says the Swedish government, which has appointed a commissioner tasked with coming up with proposals for how to make the monitoring of the discrimination act more effective.

Wages are not everything – national insurance costs important to posting of workers

(Sep 12, 2019) A Lithuanian construction worker posted to Sweden does have the right to be paid according to the Swedish Byggavtalet – the collective agreement between the Swedish Construction Federation and the Swedish Building Workers' Union.

Guy Ryder: The multinational system must understand the importance of work issues

(Jun 28, 2019) The ILO has celebrated its centenary. In a jubilant tweet from Geneva, Guy Ryder summed up the 108th session of the International Labour Conference: “We had big ambitions for this Conference, and it was a record breaker in every sense. We emerged with a new Convention, a new Recommendation and a Declaration that will take us forward to meet the challenges of tomorrow.”

Nordic trade unions praise #metoo convention

(Jun 27, 2019) New international standards will protect everybody’s right to a world of work free from violence and harassment. Danish and other Nordic trade unions call it a great leap forward for workers globally and in the Nordic region. Danish employers doubt it will have much effect.

A tough tone between EU and national courts

(May 26, 2019) Right now, Nordic labour ministries are busy working with two EU directives. The directive on the posting of workers is being expanded, while a new directive on transparent and predictable working conditions is to be implemented.

ILO's DG Guy Ryder finds inspiration from problem-solving Iceland

(Apr 12, 2019) Why does the Director-General of ILO choose Iceland as one of his last stops before the organisation’s centenary celebrations kick off? Why Reykjavík and not Paris or Rome?

A shift in work-related crime – or just prettier facades?

(Apr 12, 2019) The Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority has uncovered less work-related crime in 2018, even though more controls have been carried out compared to in previous years. Some point to improved cross-sector cooperation, while critics say inspections are of little use if they are not unannounced.

What happened to the spirit of consent?

(Nov 15, 2018) Have we become less good at solving conflicts in the Nordic region? Are we seeing a weakening of the spirit of consent which has made it possible to reach compromises that everyone can live with? This issue of the Nordic Labour Journal looks at the debate in the five Nordic countries.

Finnish government on collision course with unions

(Nov 15, 2018) The conflict between the Finnish government and trade unions over weakening employment protection legislation has led to several political strikes in Finland. The conflict seems to have been solved thanks to classic tripartite negotiations, yet the future of the tripartite model is increasingly unclear.