News — Nordic Labour Journal

Time pressure bigger work environment issue in the Nordics than rest of Europe

(Sep 29, 2015) Psychosocial risk factors are identified as the main challenge by the European Agency for Health and Safety at Work in their second major survey of work environments in European countries.

Complicated relationship between EU and Nordic labour law systems

(Jun 22, 2015) The courts have acquired a greater role in the labour law system at the expense of politicians and the social partners. And knowing what the law actually means is becoming so difficult for employers and trade unions that the rule of law is under threat, argue the authors of a new book from the Nordic Council of Ministers.

New portal for Nordic jobs

(May 13, 2015) Today jobseekers in the Nordic countries must apply to the individual countries’ employment services which advertise jobs in their own individual languages . Now a new service aims to make it easier to find jobs.

Poul Nielson to map Nordic labour cooperation

(May 12, 2015) The entire Nordic labour sector will be analysed by Poul Nielson, a former Danish government minister and EU Commissioner, on behalf of the Nordic Council of Ministers. Nielson will present recommendations for how to strengthen Nordic labour market cooperation.

June general strike looms in Iceland

(May 12, 2015) Iceland is already dealing with several strikes and more trade unions are threatening industrial action. There will be a general strike in June if the parties fail to reach a collective agreement. The strikes have already become the largest labour market conflict in Iceland in 25 years.

Experts propose a more labour targeted and user friendly NAV

(Apr 15, 2015) One year has passed since Norway’s Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Robert Eriksson appointed the Expert group tasked with undertaking a comprehensive review of the Labour and Welfare Administration NAV under the motto ‘From bureaucratic reform to user reform’. Now the report is ready: ‘A NAV with possibilities.’

Mediator needed to help with working conditions for posted workers

(Apr 15, 2015) The Swedish government should appoint a mediator or a working group to help the parties in certain trades agree on which conditions in their collective agreements that should also cover posted workers. This is the proposal from the Inquiry into new rules on postings, which presented its conclusions on 31 March.

Another EU win for Finnish trade unions

(Apr 15, 2015) Finnish trade unions have had another major victory in the EU Court of Justice. This time it is about collective agreement rules which restrict employers’ rights to use agency workers. The judgement is important also from a Swedish point of view.

Estonians are returning home

(Apr 15, 2015) The Baltic states are loosing active citizens fast, but in Estonia the authorities have started counting them back in.

Finland: Unemployed youths get more attention

(Mar 19, 2015) Finland’s youth guarantee means young people have become a higher priority within the public sector.

The Nordics: Failing reforms exclude youths with disabilities

(Mar 06, 2015) More flexibility does not lead to a more inclusive labour market. Political reforms carried out in the Nordic region in the first decade of the millennium do not have any measurable effects either, concludes the Nordic research group behind the report ‘New Policies to Promote Youth Inclusion’.

New work environment agreement focuses on prevention and permanence

(Mar 06, 2015) Denmark’s work environment will be strengthened over the next four years with 135 million Danish kroner (€18m), mainly aimed at preventing violence, threats, workplace accidents and burnout.

Victory for the Finnish Electrical Workers' Union in EU Court of Justice

(Mar 06, 2015) ”6 – 0 to the Finnish Electrical Workers’ Union!” ”The greatest thing to have happened since the Laval judgement!” Reactions from the employees’ side were exuberant when the Court of Justice of the European Union announced its preliminary ruling in the case concerning 186 Polish electricians who had been posted to Finland.

Norway: strike against labour law reform, tough conflicts ahead

(Feb 07, 2015) Will more short term contracts lead to more jobs for more people? Will it make it easier to access the labour market? Would it create more jobs or just more temporary staff? These questions are at the core of Norwegian workers’ fight against changes to the working environment act.

Denmark: more refugees and immigrants into work

(Feb 07, 2015) Far too few refugees and immigrants in Denmark are in work, and there is broad agreement something needs to be done about it. Yet there is little support for the Prime Minister’s proposal to get refugees and immigrants to clean up Denmark’s beaches and fix swings in kindergartens.