Editorial
New tendencies are focusing minds
Dec 12, 2014 The OECD leaves little doubt that the Nordic region has come through the crisis better than most other countries, with low unemployment, high employment and little inequality. But take nothing for granted. New tendencies are focusing minds. Organised labour is under pressure while the sharing economy spreads at an ever faster rate. The Nordic Labour Journal checks out the facts.
tema
Why own when you can rent? The sharing economy and working life
Dec 12, 2014 Uber, Netflix and Airbnb are names associated with the sharing economy — a term which tries to describe the rapid changes in the way we consume goods and services. We rent rather than own, we swap, share, borrow or give away. New technology allows for new kinds of transactions, which in turn influences working life.
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Hotels threatened by the sharing economy
Dec 12, 2014 New digital services which bring sellers and buyers together are making inroads in traditional areas of business. Most successful of them all is American Airbnb which helps people rent out their apartments. The hotel industry in Finland is fighting back.
tema
The sharing economy is changing the services market
Dec 12, 2014 Mow the neighbours lawn? Quickly get hold of a skilled handyman? More and more digital marketplaces are emerging in order to facilitate the link between those who offer and those who need services. There are many different solutions, and two of the market’s players predict that things are only just starting.
tema
“Make the Nordic region a growth centre for the sharing economy”
Dec 12, 2014 The Nordic region can become a centre for the sharing economy, which would benefit all of society. But politicians are asleep at the wheel, thinks Charlotte Fischer from the Danish Social Liberal Party. She sits on the Business Council for Sustainable Development, the Congestion Commission and is a member of the regional council of The Capital Region of Denmark.
Insight
Women could determine the Nordic model’s future
Dec 12, 2014 A high employment rate for women is crucial to the future of the Nordic model. This was the main message from the OECD’s Mark Pearson as the report ‘The Nordic Model – challenged but capable of reform’, was being discussed at the meeting of Nordic labour ministers.
Portrait
Gerd Kristiansen: Norwegian LO leader with a backbone
Dec 12, 2014 There is tension in the air. The leader for Norway’s largest labour organisation is incensed with the government’s labour policies and its lack of cooperation on the proposed new work environment act which would grant employers more powers to hire people on temporary contracts. Her determination can be felt across the room.
In focus
The sharing economy threatens Nordic trade unions
Dec 12, 2014 The sharing economy is a brand new phenomenon which has exploded into fast moving marketplaces with names like Uber, Netflix and Airbnb. It’s all about renting, not owning — be it a car, a boat, a bike or using your own home to make a little extra cash. New online technology creates new opportunities for both consumers and producers. We look at how the sharing economy is shaping up in Denmark, Finland and Sweden, and how it affects the labour market.
News
Sweden’s government crisis means less money for working life
Dec 08, 2014 On Wednesday 3 December Sweden’s Prime Minister Stefan Löfven announced snap elections will be held on 22 March 2015. His centre-left minority government’s budget was voted down in parliament, which also means the promised increase in spending for the Public Employment Service and the Work Environment Authority will not materialise.
News
Iceland: fewer take paternity leave
Dec 08, 2014 When Iceland introduced paid paternity leave in 2000 it was a huge success. New fathers welcomed the opportunity to stay at home with their children. But the trend has not continued, and fathers’ income opportunities have worsened. Families can no longer afford the cut in earnings.
Editorial
Knowledge and efforts needed for a better work environment
Nov 12, 2014 We all want a working life we can live with. How do you achieve that? We have asked people in workplaces which have won awards for good work environments, experts and others who are serious about the work environment: what is needed to create change for the better?
tema
Challenge: gathering Europe in a joint vision for the work environment
Nov 12, 2014 25 percent of workers in the EU have a job which causes them psychosocial problems like stress, according to the fifth European working conditions survey. The results have been analysed in a report by Eurofound in cooperation with the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work. But measuring work environments is considerably harder than measuring unemployment.
In focus
Work environment: getting positive results
Nov 12, 2014 One in four workers in Europe suffer from stress or other psychosocial difficulties according to Eurofound’s latest survey. The number of challenges typical of modern working life are increasing. But the dangers in the service industry are different from those on the factory floor. As work to improve work environments shifts focus to psychological factors and positive measures, new dangers still emerge because of new technology, like nano technology.
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