Nordic Model — Nordic Labour Journal

Nordic trade unions “too distant from rest of EU”

(Oct 28, 2022) Who gains the most out of being a fly on the wall at the Council of Nordic Trade Unions congress in Oslo – the journalist or the social anthropologist? I suspect the latter, but since I am a journalist I will present the big news first: Iceland will host a tripartite meeting on green and just reform on 1 December 2023.

Will the climate issue rejuvenate Nordic trade unions?

(Oct 28, 2022) What signals were the most important to come out of the NFS congress in Oslo? We asked Ragnhild Lied, President of the Union confederation, to sum up her impressions. “What is clear now is that we are experiencing so many crises at once,” she says.

New whistleblower act challenges Sweden’s unique freedom of expression

(Aug 18, 2022) Freedom of expression is enshrined in the Swedish constitution, and no other country has more far-reaching protection for employees who want to go public with irregularities in the workplace. As a result, expectations of a new whistleblower act were high. Criticism came fast.

Nordics split as EU minimum wage proposal delayed

(Apr 25, 2022) Is time almost up for the proposed European minimum wage? Much is pointing in that direction. The war in Ukraine and the French presidential election has put breaks on the issue. And there is still great disagreement within the EU.

Platform work challenges the Nordic model

(Dec 07, 2021) Should we be adding a third labour market category in addition to employer and employee? As the Nordic labour ministers met in Helsinki between 22 and 23 November, much of the discussion centred on platform work and the challenges this presents for the Nordic model.

Why Iceland's wage increase outstrips the rest of Europe

(Oct 13, 2021) In August, Iceland's monthly wage index increased by 0.3%. The index had then risen by 7.9% in the last 12 months, which is more than in most other European countries. The increase from the first to the second quarter of this year was 8.1%, the third-highest in Europe.

The Nordic's most precious resource

(Sep 08, 2021) Trust is a crucial resource for the Nordic welfare states, but it does not cover everything and everyone. If you look closer, there are big differences in trust between the Nordic countries, but also internally in each of them.

Trust levels in Sweden are swaying

(Sep 08, 2021) Trust between people in Sweden is high, just like in the other Nordic countries. And despite the pandemic and high death rates, trust remains high in Sweden compared to the rest of the world. But on a local level, there is a growing gap between areas of high and low trust, according to the latest Trust Barometer.

Has it become harder to govern the Nordics?

(Sep 08, 2021) Three of the five Nordic countries are now run by minority governments. Does this mean the political pillar of the Nordic model has grown weaker? While the power of the major established parties is dwindling across the Nordics, trade unions and employers gather in ever-larger organisations.

Nordic model well suited for future of work challenges

(Jun 29, 2021) Nordic labour ministers met digitally on 2 June to discuss the final report from the Nordic research project on the future of work. It warns of challenges to the Nordic model, but also concludes it is the best tool in the fight against an unequal labour market.

EU minimum wage directive: last stand for the Nordics?

(Jan 22, 2021) 2021 looks set to be the year when the issue of statutory minimum wages in Europe will be settled. The debate has lasted a long time and opinions are divided, but on 28 October 2020, the EU Commission finally presented a proposed directive which will be processed by the European Council and the EU Parliament.

Jon Erik Dølvik: Stored demand could help create jobs

(Dec 10, 2020) The largest research project ever to be financed by the employment ministers at the Nordic Council of Ministers was about to conclude just as the Corona pandemic hit. How will the pandemic and the economic crisis in its wake impact on the advice the researchers will give on the future of work?

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.

Letter to the EU exposes cracks within European Trade Union Confederation

(Apr 15, 2020) It is with regret that we need to inform the Commission that the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) reply regarding the consultation on European minimum wages is not representative for us. That is what ten trade union confederations from Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Sweden write in a letter which highlights a historic crack in ETUC.

The Nordics lack children – only Greenland stands out

(Feb 15, 2020) The Nordic countries often top global rankings for happiness and gender equality. But who will benefit from this in the future, when fertility rates are falling and populations are ageing? According to the State of the Nordic Region 2020 report, only in Greenland are there far more children than old people.

New profile leaves Nordic traces around the world

(Jan 20, 2020) The Nordic Region is attractive, with its 27 million citizens over five countries living in peaceful coexistence. We are far from perfect, but perhaps that is what makes us fascinating. The Nordic Council of Ministers tries to look after all this by creating a Nordic brand.

Danish welfare agency wide open for fraudster

(Nov 27, 2019) Should an employee get a lesser sentence if it is easy to steal from the employer? This issue is currently being debated in the criminal case brought against Danish Britta Nielsen, who stole more than 100 million kroner (over €13m) from her employer, the Danish National Board of Social Services. The money had been allocated to disadvantaged citizens.

What are the critical issues for Nordic trade unions?

(Sep 12, 2019) What goes on inside the head of a trade union leader? At the NFS congress in Malmö they were challenged to spend one minute to describe what they see as the greatest challenge going forward. Here are some of the answers:

Nordic trade unions: climate action must be fair

(Sep 12, 2019) ”There are no jobs on a dead planet” was the most cited slogan at the Nordic trade unions’ congress in Malmö from 3 - 5 September. The climate issue is at the forefront of the trade union movement’s mind too.