News — Nordic Labour Journal

Labour Ministers invite Nicolas Schmit to meeting

(Feb 16, 2020) Nordic governments are joining forces to explain the Nordic labour market model to EU lawmakers. The Labour Ministers have sent a letter to the new Commissioner Nicolas Schmit, inviting him to a meeting in Copenhagen in early April to discuss the Nordic countries’ chosen priorities.

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.

Varða – Iceland's new labour market research institute

(Feb 05, 2020) The Icelandic Confederation of Labour ASÍ and the Federation of State and Municipal Employees BSRB have agreed to set up a new institute for labour market research in the country.

Rail suicides: a joint Nordic approach to reduce numbers

(Jan 28, 2020) Every year, 3,500 people in the Nordic region take their own lives. The Nordic Council Welfare Committee wants to stop this happening and has presented a vision to prevent all suicide. One of the group’s proposals is a vision zero for rail suicides by 2025.

"We must protect our police force"

(Dec 16, 2019) There is a parliamentary majority in Sweden for recruiting more police officers. There has been a tripling of police training places in recent years. 546 new police officers recently graduated.

Tuula Haatainen new Finnish Minister of Employment

(Dec 16, 2019) Experienced Haatainen (59) joins a government which features numerous young female minister. So what experience do Finnish politicians have from real working life? The question arose with Finland’s sudden change of government in mid-December.

How Norway got EU benefit regulations wrong for seven years

(Dec 16, 2019) What lies behind Norway’s scandalous miscarriage of justice that led to 2,400 people being branded benefit cheats because the state misinterpreted the EEA agreement? And how could this have gone on for seven years?

Faroe Islands: big economic growth yet increasing poverty

(Dec 16, 2019) The Faroe Islands are doing very well. But things are also going very badly. One survey shows the Faroes had the greatest economic growth in Europe last year. At the same time, the number of Faroese at risk of poverty rose from 9 to 10.7 %. “A worrying trend,” says trade union coordinator Sonja Jógvansdóttir.

EU agreement on mobility package

(Dec 13, 2019) After years of inquiries and difficult negotiations, EU countries have agreed on new rules for the road haulage sector. The new rules will be introduced in 2021 and will also cover Norway and Iceland.

Maria Mindhammar takes helm at Sweden's battered PES

(Dec 12, 2019) On 5 December Maria Mindhammar was appointed the new Director-General of the Swedish Public Employment Service. It is a job she gladly goes to, while also calling the situation at the Public Employment Service “exceptionally challenging”.

A gender change in the cleaning profession

(Nov 27, 2019) Cleaning is about to become a male-dominated occupation. It used to be nearly exclusively women who worked the mop. Now men, especially those with an immigrant background, are taking over according to a report from the Oslo Institute for Social Research.

New agreement for education on the Cap of the North

(Nov 27, 2019) The Arctic Vocational Foundation has secured funding from Sweden, Finland and Norway for a further four years of vocational training for youths. A total of 285 youths will be trained every year.

Nordic governments: Everyone must join the fight against climate change

(Nov 06, 2019) Fighting climate change is no longer a choice, but an absolute necessity which means our countries, our citizens and our industries must make great changes. That was the message from the Nordic prime ministers at the Nordic Council’s session in Stockholm.

Greenland needs new jobs and foreign labour

(Oct 20, 2019) There is an urgent need to create new jobs in Greenland’s mining and tourism industries. At the same time more foreign labour is needed, say the social partners.

Money can't buy you happiness in Iceland

(Oct 18, 2019) Families need decent wages in order to afford all the essentials. But high wages do not necessarily make families happy. There is no direct correlation between money and happiness, unless the family has real economic problems. The key to happiness is mainly spending time with family and friends.