News — Nordic Labour Journal

Swedish Employment Service wins award for anti-violence work

(Feb 12, 2022) Over the past four years, the Swedish Public Employment Service has worked to increase awareness around violence in close relationships, which is often a hidden cause of long-term unemployment. They have trained 6,000 staff as well as suppliers and clients. Now they have been awarded the 2022 Swedish Gender Equality Award.

Iceland’s capital area waste collection no longer rubbish

(Feb 10, 2022) Despite all the progress that has taken place in waste management, Iceland’s six capital municipalities still do not recycle household biological waste. The municipalities do not even share the same waste management system. But now things are finally changing.

The Faroe Islands: A country without prisons

(Jan 28, 2022) If you are sentenced to more than 18 months in prison in the Faroe Islands, you will suffer the additional penalty of being sent to Denmark to serve your sentence. Because there are no prisons in the Faroe Islands.

Swedish LO: The ETUC no longer represents us

(Jan 28, 2022) The Swedish Trade Union Confederation (LO) has stopped paying its membership fee to the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and will no longer participate in the organisation’s meetings – all in protest against the ETUC’s handling of the directive on adequate minimum wages.

Hybrid work: Nordic border commuters face income tax headache

(Dec 07, 2021) Hybrid work became a solution for many companies during the Corona pandemic. But people commuting across borders risked being taxed in a different country because they were working from home. The Nordic Border Barriers Council is on the case.

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.

EEA/EFTA countries meet as Hungary blocks final declaration

(Nov 26, 2021) The 53rd EEA Council meeting on 24 November at the new EFTA House in Brussels ended without a final declaration. Hungary took the highly unusual step to veto it in a move seen as revenge against EEA grants to the country being stopped earlier.

The Nordics come together to prepare for future crises

(Nov 16, 2021) When new crises shake the Nordic region, the countries will cooperate on crisis preparedness and keep a close dialogue before introducing closed borders and other restrictions which impact on Nordic neighbours. There is broad agreement for this between the Nordic governments and parliamentarians.

Nordics agree to protect culture as well as the climate

(Nov 16, 2021) Climate and sustainability get more from the 2022 Nordic cooperation budget, while culture and education avoid planned cuts.

Cognitive health part of new Swedish work environment strategy

(Nov 16, 2021) Do you juggle all the balls at once rather than focus on what you should be doing? Or do you prioritise and concentrate on what is the most pressing task? Today’s labour market is really testing our cognitive capacity. More and more of us come down with cognitive ill health.

New Icelandic employers' organisation while trade union chair resigns

(Nov 16, 2021) It has been an eventful month for the Icelandic labour market. On the employer’s side, representatives of smaller companies formally founded a new association to further their interests, since they believe that they are not properly looked after elsewhere. At the same time, the chairman of one of the largest trade unions in the country resigned after accusations from union employees of bullying.

Iceland received the most refugees per capita in 2020 among the Nordics

(Nov 01, 2021) Immigration to OECD countries fell by 30% in 2020 to 3.7 million people. That is the lowest level since 2003. Denmark, Finland and Norway received fewer asylum seekers per capita than the OECD average, while Iceland and Sweden took in considerably more.

New Swedish delegation to fight work-related crime

(Oct 13, 2021) On 27 September, the Swedish government took another step in the fight against work-related crime when it presented a delegation tasked with increasing knowledge about the issue while supporting the authorities working to stop it.

Labour shortages all around, including in the Danish film industry

(Oct 13, 2021) It is hard to find tradespeople who have time for new projects and the Danish film industry is short of everything from actors to scriptwriters. Businesses are asking the government for more foreign labour.

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.