Portrait
Loa Brynjulfsdottir wants to defend the collective agreement model
Dec 12, 2011 Loa Brynjulfsdottir is the new general secretary at the Council of Nordic Trade Unions, NFS. Her top priority is to further defend the Nordic collective agreement model. It is under pressure from the more regulations-based way in which labour market issues are dealt with within the EU.
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Nordic cooperation for 2012 focuses on broad participation
Dec 12, 2011 The welfare state in a Nordic perspective is the theme for Norway’s 2012 presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers. One priority will be the inclusion of exposed social groups in the labour market. The social partners will be important contributors during the presidency.
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What do border obstacles cost the Nordic region?
Dec 12, 2011 Is it possible to calculate how much the Nordic countries are loosing because of the many remaining border obstacles affecting the labour market? According to Copenhagen Economics no border obstacles would mean 3,000 to 6,000 more cross-border commuters. If all of them came out of unemployment it would save 4.2bn Danish kroner (€56m).
Comments
Editorial: The spirit of our times and future challenges
Nov 14, 2011 The Nordic welfare state is a finely tuned system. Cooperation between the social partners and authorities is central to its development. When Nordic trade unions loose members this power balance is endangered. That is an issue well worth focusing on. According to experts and politicians Nordic Labour Journal has spoken to, there is a need for action.
In focus
Trade unions and a new spirit of the times
Nov 14, 2011 Inspired by the Arab spring, protesters have been occupying streets and squares in the USA and in Europe. They have highlighted the big gap between the richest one percent and everybody else, even in Western countries. The Nordic region enjoys long traditions of cooperation on how social and working life should develop. But Nordic trade unions are loosing supporters. This could threaten their legitimacy and shift the balance which the Nordic model is based on.
tema
Welfare state and social partners’ cooperation
Nov 13, 2011 Cooperation with the social partners is central when politicians in Norway and Denmark sit down to write new political programmes - be it Denmark’s new government programme or the programme for Norway’s 2012 presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers.
tema
How do the unions handle the new debate on salary gaps?
Nov 13, 2011 Over the past decade the number of working days lost due to labour conflicts has been very low. Illegal industrial action has nearly disappeared altogether. Meanwhile the pay gap has widened considerably. But now there is fresh disquiet. How do unions deal with these new times?
tema
”Change or die” - mobilising and modernising unions
Nov 13, 2011 From 2007 to 2011 Swedish trade unions lost 273,000 members. Worst hit was the Swedish Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) and the lowest numbers of union membership was found among young people and people of foreign heritage. But unions are not passively watching the fall in membership numbers - on the contrary, they are mobilising to reach old and new members.
Portrait
Minister of Labour Lauri Ihalainen: Improved competence will safeguard Finland’s future
Nov 11, 2011 Finland’s new government has ambitious goals for improving people’s level of competence. Finns will handle structural changes and future challenges better through improved education and adult training.
News
Nordic border obstacles higher on the political agenda
Nov 10, 2011 Denmark’s new government has talked about it, the Finnish presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers has done something about it and when Norway takes over the presidency there will be increased attention from the Nordic prime ministers, Nordic parliamentarians and not least the responsible ministers. All wish to improve free movement within the Nordic region.
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Editorial: Klondike and thousands of new Nordic jobs?
Oct 12, 2011 How will that show in labour market statistics? Statistics Sweden, SCB, celebrates its anniversary. They have delivered labour market statistics and figures for the past 50 years. A mining boom and measures to get more jobs for more people can provide exciting figures in the years to come.
tema
Transport facilities crucial to mining
Oct 12, 2011 Nordic politicians are waking up to the possibilities for the mining industry. On 12 October foreign ministers in the Barents Euro-Arctic Council met in the LKAB mine in Kiruna. Norway’s Jonas Gahr Støre (right below) and Sweden’s Carl Bildt arrived together on the ore train from Narvik.
tema
Greenland’s red hot labour market
Oct 12, 2011 Flemming Enequist stands at the stern of a Targa 37 with 600 horse powers ploughing him through the Godthåp fjord on his way to London Mining’s base camp 150 kilometres north-east of Greenland’s capital Nuuk. He works for the local authority and his job is to tempt young Greenlanders to find work in the mining industry.
Portrait
Sweden’s Minister for Nordic Coordination Ewa Björling has a soft spot for mines
Oct 12, 2011 “We want to do something for the mining industry. There has never been Nordic cooperation in that field. Right now there’s a Klondike situation for mining in Sweden, Norway and Finland. If you include Greenland there’s a great Danish interest too,” says Ewa Björling, Sweden’s Minister for Nordic Cooperation.
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