News — Nordic Labour Journal

Can cafés of influence and democracy heroes make us feel better?

(Mar 01, 2017) One in five children and young people are struggling mentally. And the problems have been on the increase in all of the Nordic countries in recent years. That is the backdrop for a Nordic summit on mental health in Oslo.

Camilla Stoltenberg: Nordics should cooperate to improve young people’s mental health

(Feb 28, 2017) The Nordic countries should get together and create ambitious goals to improve young people’s psychological well-being, argues Camilla Stoltenberg, professor and Director-General of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.

Falling life satisfaction among Nordic youths

(Feb 28, 2017) Life satisfaction is falling among Nordic youths, and at least one in four experience several symptoms of unhappiness, like headaches and stomach-aches. But there are large differences between the individual Nordic countries.

Job prize to get more Danish long term unemployed into work

(Feb 02, 2017) A cash prize awaits Danes who get a job after a long time on unemployment benefits. Long term unemployment benefit receivers are also given help to find casual jobs. Yet one expert questions whether the economic incentive is large enough.

Norway in legal pickle over Posting Directive

(Feb 02, 2017) In Norway the social partners are responsible for wage setting and therefore they are responsible for solving the problem. That was the Norwegian government’s message to Efta’s surveillance authority ESA.

ILO report: Big difference in view of working women between Nordics and Eastern Europe

(Dec 15, 2016) Women in the Nordic countries participate in the labour market to a greater degree than in any other country, and there are many good examples to be found here. But some glass ceilings remain unbroken, concluded the conference “Global Dialogue on Gender in the World of Work” which was held in Helsinki in late November.

OECD on Finland: Easy to get another job

(Dec 15, 2016) Unemployment is high at over eight percent. But it is relatively easy to get another equivalent job. That is often forgotten in Finland. Thank the level of education for that! This is how leading daily Helsingin Sanomat comments the OECD’s fresh country report.

Jyrki Katainen: Populism threatens stability and risks increasing unemployment

(Dec 15, 2016) The EU Commission’s Vice-President, responsible for jobs, growth, investments and competitiveness, is attacking populism, praises the circular economy and defends the EU Pillar of Social Rights in an interview with the Nordic Labour Journal.

Nordic countries positive to EU social pillar – but want to set wages themselves

(Dec 13, 2016) We urge that the proposed European Pillar of Social Rights takes into account the special features of our labour markets and respects the role played by the social partners in the Nordic Region. That is what the Nordic countries’ labour ministers write in a joint declaration to the European Commission.

New Swedish legislation protects whistleblowers

(Nov 16, 2016) A new law will be introduced in Sweden this January to improve the protection of whistleblowers, strengthening the employees’ situation. However, they will still be left with much responsibility when it comes to deciding which wrongdoings are serious enough to afford them protection.

Are the Nordic welfare states prepared for crises?

(Nov 16, 2016) Do the Nordics spend too little money on Nordic welfare? Yes, believes Iceland’s Minister for Nordic Cooperation Eygló Harðardóttir. She sees great opportunities for more welfare cooperation, and supports a proposed Nordic welfare forum and a system for common welfare indicators, to be better prepared for future crises.

Profit limit on welfare services triggers strong emotions in Sweden

(Nov 16, 2016) When the so-called welfare inquiry was presented on 8 November, proposing a limit to profits from welfare services, there was immediate disagreement. The centre-right parties want to remove a seven percent limit, while the Left Party is pushing the government to take even tougher action against profit.

The posting of workers directive: EU Commission sticks to its guns

(Nov 16, 2016) Should posted workers have the right to the same wages as workers in the country to which they are posted? Yes, says the European Commission, sticking to its proposal for changes to the posting of workers directive, despite fierce resistance from Eastern European member states.

Åland’s Britt Lundberg and Norway's Erna Solberg sharpen Nordic cooperation in 2017

(Nov 07, 2016) Removing border obstacles in the Nordic region is one of my priorities, proclaimed Britt Lundberg from Åland when she was elected the 2017 President of the Nordic Council during the Council’s Copenhagen session on 3 November. Border obstacles remain a core task for Nordic cooperation. The Norwegian Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers will continue to make it a priority in 2017.

Social Democrats nearly wiped out in Iceland’s election

(Nov 07, 2016) The Social Democratic Alliance (Samfylkingin) was the great looser in Iceland’s parliamentary elections, together with the Progressive Party (Framsóknarflokkurinn). The Social Democratic Alliance was nearly wiped out, retaining only three MPs. The President has now invited the leader of the Independence Party to form a government.