Nordic Model — Nordic Labour Journal

Equality driver of Iceland’s success

(Sep 07, 2011) Higher taxes for those who have the most, protection of the poor and debt relief to businesses and households - all part of the recipe to get a bankrupt state back on track according to the Icelandic experience. You also need a proper post-party tidy-up, get the economy in balance and prevent criminal activity from repeating itself.

An election coloured by crisis

(Sep 07, 2011) Which politicians can best guide Denmark through the current economic crisis, where more and more Danes fear going bust or end up unemployed? That is the deciding question in the Danish elections this month.

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.

Norway's Rigmor Aasrud to uncover the myth of a uniform Nordic region

(May 10, 2011) Norway's Cooperation Minister Rigmor Aasrud wants to engage the Nordic countries' grass roots when Norway takes on the Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2012.

Globalisation gives life to new Nordic stories

(May 10, 2011) How can Nordic countries better cooperate and become stronger in the face of global challenges? How can they join forces to increase growth and attract the right skills? Which initiatives are best to get people on the outside of the labour market into working life? Accelerating globalisation is changing the story of the Nordic region.

Editorial: Mobile labour creates turbulence

(Apr 07, 2011) "I have freed my own work from the shackles of time and space," says the head of Microsoft Finland in our piece on open plan office spaces. He commutes in time and space between his virtual and real mobile workplace.

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.

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.

Temporary work agencies: misfits in Nordic working life?

(Apr 07, 2011) This year will see the implementation of the EU directive on temporary agency work which is meant to improve labour mobility and facilitate the growth in temporary work agencies. It will also lay down demands for equal treatment of permanent staff and workers recruited through temporary work agencies.

Motherhood vs career logic rules

(Mar 07, 2011) We're all equal now, right? More women than ever get an education, there are new ideals for what it means to be a father and family-friendly solutions have changed the framework for how mothers' and fathers' adapt to work and family life.

Working hours: a hot topic for the Labour Inspection Authority director

(Feb 11, 2011) Ingrid Finboe Svendsen's dream is to create a popular drive for a better work environment. The Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority has often been in the spotlight for dealing with cases of social dumbing, but the Authority's director wants to showcase the full scope of what the organisation does. And this is where Facebook comes in.

Hillevi Engström: more social responsibility needed in working life

(Nov 24, 2010) Once the leading star of Swedish Police, Hillevi Engström is now in charge of whipping working life into line. She wants to use her role as Minister for Employment to challenge businesses to take social responsibility. In return she offers economical incentives and an improved education system.

Curtain fall for the Laval case

(Aug 31, 2010) Sweden's Supreme Court has refused to reverse the Swedish Labour Court's judgement in the Laval case. Now a labour law expert says the state should pay the considerable compensation which trade unions have been ordered to pay.

Hard to export Nordic trust

(Aug 31, 2010) The Nordic model is usually described as a social system with strong unions and employers' organisations, an active state and a generous welfare system. But one cultural trait makes the model hard to export. People in the Nordic region tend to invest a whole lot of trust in each other.

Dictates from politicians trigger crisis of trust

(Aug 31, 2010) More and more important decisions are being made by politicians away from the parties to the labour market. Now experts fear a crisis of trust which will undermine the basis of the Danish model, which is based on negotiated agreements between state, employers and employees.

When Iceland's trust vanished, comedian Jón Gnarr became mayor

(Aug 31, 2010) Reykjavik citizens demonstrated their level of distrust in traditional politics and politicians by voting in comedian Jón Gnarr as their new mayor in last spring's local elections. Mr Gnarr's party, The Best Party, entered a coalition with the social democratic party Alliansen (Samfylkingin).

Nordic measures for sustainable working life

(May 07, 2010) In the last analysis, the great challenge for the Nordics is the survival of the welfare state. To meet this challenge, more people must be in work, and they must work for longer than before.

Hanne Bjurstrøm: Norway's new Minister of Labour with a vision

(May 05, 2010) Norway's new Minister of Labour, Hanne Bjurstrøm, wants to sort out the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration, find efficient systems to deal with social dumping and help more people with reduced work capacity. Her vision: to help anyone who is able to do some work get out of being passive recipients of state support. To do that she needs the support of companies.

Inger Støjberg - fighting unemployment with cross-party cooperation

(Mar 02, 2010) Just as the economic crisis hit Denmark in April 2009, Inger Støjberg took up her position as Minister of Employment and Gender Equality. She was already known as a vocal spokeswoman for the Danish Liberal Party. Now she is the promoter of broad agreements with the opposition.