News — Nordic Labour Journal

Creating a decent work environment for employees in the new economy

(Oct 15, 2018) How can the Swedish Work Environment Authority carry out inspections and promote satisfactory work environments for the self-employed, digital platform workers or those who are employed in other new forms of organising work? That is what the authority is trying to figure out in a two year-long project commissioned by the government.

New Swedish council to defend collective bargaining

(Oct 12, 2018) In light of the European Commission’s many recent legislative initiatives in the social policy field, the Swedish private sector social partners have joined forces to fight for their common interests on an EU level.

Disruption patrol alerts authorities of work-related crime

(Oct 09, 2018) Private operators outside of the public labour inspection system in both Norway and Sweden are gathering information on cowboy operators within the construction industry. The Nordic Labour Journal joined Vidar Sagmyr from the construction industry’s disruption patrol in Trondheim on an ordinary assignment. This time, he received no death threats.

Woman at the top in the Nordic Region

(Sep 07, 2018) Paula Lehtomäki from Finland becomes the new Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers. She was appointed on 5 September by the Nordic cooperation ministers under the leadership of Sweden and Margot Wallström. Lehtomäki begins her job in March 2019.

Conditions for road transport workers splits Europe into east and west

(Sep 07, 2018) Truck drivers were sacrificed in order to reach an agreement when the changes to the directive on the posting of workers were passed early this summer.

OECD: Iceland makes more from tourism than fisheries

(Sep 07, 2018) Tourism has become Iceland’s largest trade and top source of income representing 8.3 percent of GDP, according to the OECD report “Tourism Trends and Policies 2018. Only in Spain, Portugal and Mexico does tourism make up a greater percentage of GDP. 14 percent of Iceland’s labour force now works in the tourism industry.

This is why you get this newsletter

(Aug 11, 2018) You participated in the Nordic-Baltic Expert Seminar on Fair Competition and Fair Working Conditions, held on 24 August in Stockholm. Nordic Labour Journal covered the conference and wrote several articles on the theme in its latest issue. We hope that it may be of interest.

OECD: The crisis is over, but collective bargaining is needed for wage growth

(Jun 22, 2018) For the first time, more people are now in work in OECD countries than before the 2008 economic crisis. But the increased employment rate has not led to higher wages. The OECD says collective bargaining represents one of the most important tools for increasing living standards.

The OECD wants action now: Opportunities for all is the new measure of success

(Jun 22, 2018) Inequalities are growing. We have plenty of data telling us that – now is the time for action, says the OECD’s Gabriela Ramos.

Swedish social partners agree to limit right to industrial action

(Jun 22, 2018) Employers who have signed a collective agreement should be able to trust that the peace obligation still stands. So argue the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise and the trade union confederations LO, TCO and Saco.

We hope you still want to receive Nordic Labour Journal

(May 18, 2018) On 25 May 2018, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into force throughout the EU. GDPR will strengthen your integrity in processing of your personal data. Because of this, we in the Nordic Co-operation, the Nordic Council of Ministers and the Nordic Council, have drawn up an Integrity Policy that also applies to the Nordic Labour Journal. Our policy is to never share your data, or allow any other party to use your data.

Finnish critics: Unemployed punished for inactivity – regardless of their situation

(Apr 19, 2018) Finland’s activation model for unemployed people was meant to do just that – activate the unemployed. Yet results remain elusive. All unemployed people are critical to the model, say those the NLJ has spoken to.

Nordic politicians on their guard as the EU’s new labour authority takes shape

(Apr 17, 2018) The European Commission is moving at pace to make the European Pillar of Social Rights a reality. In March it presented what it called a ‘Social Fairness Package’, where it proposed that the EU should establish a European labour authority to make sure EU rules on issues including the posting of workers and the coordination of social security schemes are being followed.

Icelandic companies want to introduce equal pay standard ahead of time

(Apr 09, 2018) Icelandic companies are hard at work preparing to meet demands introduced in equal pay legislation presented at the start of the year. Several of them want to adapt the equal pay standard before the deadline. But the amount of work is greater than expected, and the first ones out must start from scratch.

Norwegian experts: Whistleblowers need more protection

(Mar 23, 2018) The government-appointed committee assessing the need for better laws and regulations surrounding whistleblowing wants to strengthen the protection of whistleblowers with an ombudsman who can provide advice and assistance in whistleblowing cases, and a separate dispute commission to make it easier for people to speak out. Both could be enshrined in a whistleblower law.